A reach extender (reacher, grabber arm, helping hand, trash picker, picker-upper, extended gripper, long arm gripper, extended reach grabber, grabber tool, caliper etc.) is a handheld

mechanical Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...

tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

used to increase the range of a person's reach when grabbing objects. It has applications in

waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitorin ...

, assistive technology, gardening and outdoor work, and in some cases as a children's toy. It is chiefly used to pick items up off the ground, and it is commonly sold in hardware stores. A reach extender takes the form of a long metal or plastic pole, usually not exceeding in length, with a handle at one end and a pair of jaws at the other end. The handle is equipped with a trigger that, when pulled, closes the jaws via a lever-and-spring system within the pole. The jaws are open by default and become open when the trigger is released. Some reach extenders may possess a secondary trigger which locks the jaws in position around whatever object they are holding, so the user does not need to maintain a tight grip on the handle. Others have jaws equipped with

suction cup A suction cup, also known as a sucker, is a device or object that uses the negative Pressure#Fluid pressure, fluid pressure of air or water to adhere to Porosity, nonporous surfaces, creating a Vacuum, partial vacuum. Suction cups are peripher ...

s for holding round objects more easily, and still others have small

magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nicke ...

s for collecting lightweight metallic items. Variations on the basic form of a reach extender depend on what task needs to be accomplished, and significant variation is found in the length of the pole and the maximum weight the reach extender can bear. Reach extenders are used by

litter Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. Litter can also be used as a verb; to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups ...

collection services to aid in picking up litter off the ground without having to bend over. People may construct specially adapted forms for this purpose. Reach extenders are also used to provide accessibility to people with disabilities or who are aging. A 2009

neuroplasticity Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity, or brain plasticity, is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. It is when the brain is rewired to function in some way that differs from how it p ...

study by Cardinali et al. used reach extenders to demonstrate that the human brain maps tools as parts of the body.

References

Tools {{tool-stub