Future Technology » Search Results » disabilities

Bicycle Design for People with Disabilities

TheFuture — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 07:05:51 +0000

Bicycle designer Gavin Smith has come up with a new bicycle design that will help people with disabilities to ride the bicycle independently. Sometimes disabilities like cerebral palsy can affect the basic motor functions such as balancing which results in their inability to ride a regular bicycle. The bicycle is designed such that the supports automatically allow them to balance and operate the same effortlessly. The design also instills confidence so that they can ride the bike without any assistance. Overall this is a good effort for community development and a nice thought which is a welcome change from all those high end concept cars.

Text from designer :
This product is designed to assist people with disabilities to independently ride a bicycle. Disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disabilities and Acquired Brain Injuries can affect basic motor functions such as balance and strength, hindering their ability to operate a bicycle as an individual. This bike supports the rider’s disability by helping them balance the bike, be effortless to operate and also looking and functioning like a main stream bicycle. This helps the rider gain the independence and confidence to ride a bicycle without assistance.

Although this bike has been designed specifically for people with disabilities, there is no reason why this product cannot be used or adapted for other demographics.

This bicycle was created to support the physical limitations of a person with a disability. As a result, this gives the rider the confidence to independently ride a bicycle. This helps increase the riders self esteem and encourages them to become more active in society.

Designer : Gavin Smith

Freemode Lightweight Wheelchair Made of Fiberglass

TheFuture — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:05:16 +0000

‘Freemode’ the new chair design by John Dyson, has been designed with the motto of helping the people with disabilities to gain more freedom and personal space. The chair with its innovative storage/collapsibility can be used both for personal and as well as hospital. It is easy to use and highly functional thus for collapsing the chair the necessity of usage of hands is not there. Also the base material used is that of fiber glass as the chair is exposed to different environments like shower and toilet functions which involve water. Thus this is a practical solution for the physically challenged.

The “Freemode” is the only one of its kind. This chair is designed with the aspiration to help the many people with disabilities gain more freedom and personal space which is so often compromised. With its innovative storage/ collapsibility it has potential to be used personally and in hospitals/ nursing homes where minimal storage space is required.

The simplicity of the quick release pins on the hub of the main wheel and also at the top of the castor wheels, means they can easily be removed and packs in on top of the collapsed commode frame in a carry case.

Under influence from John Dyson, a good design is designed from the inside out. This chair was designed using the same process so everything which is on the chair has been designed specifically to be there and is an integral part of the chairs design.

The “Freemode” is highly functional and easy to use. This design means that there is no hand dexterity required to assemble or collapse the chair. There is currently only one model available which is considered to be collapsible. It is made by a New Zealand company but it requires extremely good hand dexterity in order to collapse and assemble the chair as its joints are made from wing nuts and bolts.

Fiberglass is used in many water sports equipment design. As this chair is required for both shower and toilet functions it will be able to live up to the required expectations and with such a durable surface material, it will be easy to fix in years to come.

While designing the chair, Julie was careful to consider how it would be manufactured. Working closely with a local ‘glass’ expert, on some areas of the design, Julie made sure the chair was designed so that it could be made in three easy moulds. An alternative to fiberglass would be ABS.

There is a severe lack of disability design being done both nationally and internationally and with increasing elderly numbers and other lifestyle factors, more and more people may require a commode at some stage of their lives.

Designer : Julie Clyde

The Access, Advanced Exercise Machine for Users With or Without Disabilities

TheFuture — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:43:19 +0000

Everyone today is totally health and fitness conscious. All are more interested in keeping themselves in shape and are either joining gyms or better setting up their own personal gym. The ‘Access’ is a sleek and advanced exercise machine which accommodates the users with or without disabilities by using engineering and universal design. That’s not all, it also combines the features of multiple machines into one thus giving the user a full-body workout. It also comes with simplified, minimal controls that enable people with limited dexterity to set up and use it with ease. It also has adjustable grip attachments thus allowing people with variable body mass ratio as per their convenience.

Designer : Ryan Eder

Trias Prosthetic Foot from Otto Bock

TheFuture — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:08:22 +0000

It’s a great news for persons with amputations, trias has design a prosthetic foot that not just offer excellent gait characteristics(energy-saving rollover, improved gait symmetry), reduce the loads on the amputee’s contralateral limb, but also comes with extraordinary look. As our ever-changing world becomes more complex and more dynamic, it is especially important for persons with amputations to be able to live a balanced, self-determined life of fulfilment. The use of a functional and comfortable prosthetic system is an essential contributor to the happiness and well-being of persons with disabilities. In the area of prosthetic feet, Otto Bock?s 1C30 Trias represents an ideal solution to meet these critical needs. The Trias is a synthesis of creative, modern design realised in a lightweight and efficient construction. The foot was developed by an intercultural and interdisciplinary project team using patient requirements and customer needs as a basis for their work. Hopefully this product can help the one who need it.

Source : Otto Bock

Universal Toilet for Both Individuals With Disabilities

TheFuture — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 14:08:24 +0000

This universal toilet designed by Kim Chanduk and Hong Youngki that could help both individual with disabilities. As you can see, some of public facilities still ignore users with disabilities, even toilet that built dedicated for handicapped still needs maneuvering for people in a wheelchair. Using this toilet designed, users don’t need to twist or turn, just simply slide forward off the wheelchair directly onto the toilet. A chest board is availabe to add the stability and comfort, the handles itself can be used when standing or tranferring between the wheelchair.

Designer : Kim Changduk and Hong Youngki