Future Technology » Search Results » wheelchair

Nomad Lightweight and Simple Wheelchair for Your Comfort

TheFuture — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:13:30 +0000

The Nomad Wheelchair concept is the outcome of Mark Owen’s continuous effort with his brother Jon and Angela Gidden, a furniture designer of Studio SDA, after he got paralyzed in a motorbike accident. The inconveniences and difficulties he has faced with the traditional wheelchairs became the key turning point of Mark to make an innovative wheelchair that can overcome all those problems successfully. Finally, the lightweight and minimal mobility device reached the production house with the money he got from his personal injury claim. The simple and sleek wheelchair excludes all the unnecessary elements and has been structured in a comfortable and contemporary way where a person can sit and roll for longer time without getting irritated.

Designer : Mark Owen

Cojoy : Bicycle for Two Persons That Was Inspired By Dual Paddle Boat and A Wheelchair

TheFuture — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:31:22 +0000

Cojoy is a bicycle concept for two persons, inspired from the dual paddle boat along with an operational wheelchair, and is designed to offer sheer fun for the bicycle riders. Each rider is designed to control one wheel separately of the bicycle. The seat angle of the concept is totally adjustable by using the handle according to the need of individual riders. It runs straight when two riders pedal at the same speed and when it requires to turn, the outer rider will ride faster than the inside rider. Riding this bicycle requires a good communication, cooperation and a minimum skill.

Designer : Pengtao Yu

Roll.Charge.Light.Protect Wheelchair Glows Brightly During The Night

TheFuture — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:47:29 +0000

Wheelchairs would be dangerous for open ride especially when users go out during dark night. “Roll Charge Light Protect” Project demonstrates a concept wheelchair that has lights for other people to notice the wheelchair, offering a remarkable safety system. This lights get power from movements of the wheels, thus, it is a good way to save energy. There are a set of LEDs under the wheel cover that glows brightly during the night. A magnet is helping generating electricity by rotating and the generated electricity is conveyed by the Coil to the LEDs. The wheel and the magnet are bridged with a Gear, protected by a Small Cover. The LCD panel shows readings about remaining amount of electricity and how long the user will be able to use it.

Designer : Mingoo Kim, Yunjin Chang, and Sueun Park

Future Melbourne Taxi Design for 2020

TheFuture — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:16:51 +0000

Melbourne Taxi 2020 is a vehicular and systematic TAXI design concept which is proposed for Melbourne city for the year of 2020. The concept utilizes an electric TAXI vehicle and supported infrastructure with recharging booths placed at vital points around the city. The design of the vehicle is mainly focused on safety of the driver and passengers, reliability, ease of use, iconic design and minimal environmental footprint. The highlighted features of the vehicle are GPS and mapping system for passengers and driver, Smart card system, passenger info and entertainment hub, hydrogen fuel cell, solar panel system including recharging hubs and battery generators.

This proposal is focused around providing an alternative view of what the future of the Taxi might be. The vehicle is designed around the user and this is reflected in the safety of ingress/egress, the passenger/driver compartment split and features for ease of use by passengers. Features include, split for driver safety when used as night rider, GPS and mapping system for driver and passenger, passenger entertainment/info hub, Smart card system, disability access and focus on curb side access only. Technological features include the hydrogen fuel cell, battery generators, solar panel system and recharging hubs.

The overall aesthetic of the vehicle is influenced by the Australian environment; space, relaxed ambience, unique identity, comfort, security, and a ‘can do’ attitude. These unique characteristics immediately identify the vehicle as special purpose and also set it apart from other vehicles on the road. The curb-side DLO captures the essence of the Taxi in that it is inviting passengers inside for an experience.

The footprint is emphasized by the wheels being in the outermost corners of the vehicle which allows for greater volume and also a very level and balanced stance. The roof features an acrylic opening area to allow for a greater sense of space while also allowing a great vantage point for passengers. The solar panel is also cleverly housed on the roof to harness the most energy from beating Australian sun.

Curb side access only for passenger ingress / egress safety. All doors use a slider system for minimizing the overall footprint of the vehicle whilst it is in operation. Access for wheel-chair bound passengers is catered for by providing a platform that extends to the curbside to allow access. All rear compartment seats tuck away to open-up maximum floor room for wheelchair access. Rear trunk also operates on a slider system.

The rear compartment is split-up to allow for better communication for the rear occupants. Rear seats fold away to allow access and floor clearance for wheelchair access. Heads-up display on split window for accessing features such as map, places of interest, fares and also for advertising. Driver to passenger split is driven by – safety and privacy. The split ensures security of the drivers whilst also providing a more private booth-type environment for passengers. Doors split open at the centre to allow for maximum operating opening distance.

Polycarbonate is used throughout the vehicle due to its impact resistance, relative lightweight, optical qualities and high temp resistance. The chassis comprises of aluminum to minimize weight.

Curb-side access only for passenger safety, bright orange livery for visual impact, safety-cell for passengers and driver all contribute to overall safety. Optimized seating configuration allows greater interaction, comfort and ease of use – especially the fold away seats for wheelchair access.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology coupled with electric generators / batteries propel the vehicle. The solar panel is used to harness extra energy as well as the recharging hubs when the vehicle is used to pick up passengers.

Designer : Damian Lucaciu

X30 Next Generation WheelChair

TheFuture — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:18:11 +0000

The X30 wheelchair has been designed keeping in mind the strain that the physically challenged have to undergo in situation where there is no help in hand. Designed by Danish designer Ulrik Svenningsen, the design helps in reducing the strain in hands, and shoulder which some times leads to injuries to them and also puts the device for long term use and improves comfort and mobility. Also these wheelchairs are strong, long lasting and easier to maneuver while going up the inclined surfaces and ramps etc. and also address the issue of transferring the user to and from the wheelchair. Definitely a touching thought for a practical thought.

Designer : Ulrik Svenningsen

Handy : Electric Wheel Chair for Handicapped Children

TheFuture — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:15:25 +0000

Handy Wheel chair which due to its construction is very flexible for the users. The wheels are constructed in a way which enables the user to ascend one or two steps of a stairs. The design is particularly aimed towards children with various physical handicaps, and the construction will enable the child to participate in games and will also function as a “toy” to play with.

Designer : Nicolas Nicolaou

Transporter : An Electric Wheelchair by Nori Sakatsume

TheFuture — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:03:50 +0000

Growing up in today’s time is not easy. Peer pressure and to be popular among friends is what any teenager feels while growing in years. In today’s times, life which is bound on chair sometimes can be very disheartening for a physically challenged teenagers, for them the chair becomes the biggest hindrance. Understanding this architectural designer Nori Sakatsume, has come up with an automatic wheel chair named as transporter. The device runs on electric motor housed in each wheel which in turn is powered by a lead-acid battery making it easier to maneuver and turns out to be of great help for all the physically challenged.

Designer : Nori Sakatsume

Transformable Wheelchair Concept by Caspar Schmitz

TheFuture — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:38:18 +0000

If you know some one who is using a wheelchair for survival then this product is for them. This wheelchair is made of an elastic as well as strong plastic, for example Polyurethane. The vehicle becomes adapted to contact face and the center of gravity to the situation. Through vertical pressure on the handle bar the round wheel converts to ellipsoid. As a result of which steps and barriers can be taken care of easily. It is a great invention of the wheelchair. This transformable wheel will surely abolish lots of barriers and assist disabled people to carry on their life easily.

Designer : Caspar Schmitz

Extremis Gargantua Multi-Functional Garden Table

TheFuture — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:21:03 +0000

Here comes something useful and creative for your garden furniture. Gargantua is a multi-functional garden table that can accommodate 8 people at one time. There are 4 benches that can be deranged and replaced by a wheelchair or a highchair. You can install its benches according to your height. If all the benches are in the highest position, this table can accommodate 12 people but you would require some extra chairs for this. This multi-functional table can be used for family gatherings, small get-together and kid’s party. This beautiful creation is made up of stainless steel, teak and gal vanished metal. It serves as a perfect combination of comfort, quality and functionality.

Designer : Extremis via HomeDosh

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