Tuvie

This project is about a three-wheeled car for handicapped people or senior citizen with limited mobility. The basic dimensions of the vehicle are 1793mm (W) x 3612mm (L) x 1800mm (H), the main frame is constructed of steel while the body uses fiberglass. This concept vehicle has been designed to accommodate 2 passengers and one of them on a wheelchair.

This electric vehicle is able to travel up to 50mph with maximum speed of 65mph, the electric motor is located between the front wheels, while the batteries are placed inside the undercarriage. A remote control can be used to open the doors and luggage space, the hydraulic system allows the car to elevate from 3.5-inch to 7-inch above the ground.

Designers : Filip Mirbauer and Jiří Krejčiřík

Read the rest of this entry »

The design of Smart Chair was born out of simple design and innovative mechanism to remove the stigma of “medical device” from mobility aid. Minimalist design is applied to overall body and seat, but the seat is a bit modern with futuristic touch without sacrificing user safety. The exterior structure is constructed of lightweight magnesium frame, a material which is both light and strong thus drastically reducing vehicle’s weight. The design that enables the body and the seat to be separated along with reduced weight allow user to enjoy different experience which hasn’t been possible with conventional chair. It can be picked up and loaded into a car or hand carried.

User centered design approach and universal design allows user to drive Smart Chair easily. It can be maneuvered to move in tight spaces, the wheelbase extends outwards on an extension bar as the speed of the wheels increases, creating greater stability. To keep this vehicle visible during the night, it’s equipped with headlights and taillights.

Designers : Kim Jhi Yong, Park Chul Wung, Eom Gi Chen, Jung Jin Seok, Prof. Kim Young Yun, Oh Jung Min, and Chung Sae Ha

WheelCare is an ergonomically designed wheelchair not only for the patients but also for the assistants, both of them are considered users of this wheelchair. WheelCare has been designed to prevent work injury to the assistants by redesigned the handle, seat, hanger, rear pedals and front pedals, make them adjustable and easier to use. Tube-shaped structure allows the users to install extensional gears depends on the different needs.

Designer : Che-Yu Lu

Read the rest of this entry »

For wheelchair bound people, it would be great to be able to travel freely to destination outside their home independently. Independent Wheelchair Assist (IWA) is more like a motorized add-on, a temporary power assist device for manual wheelchair users in developed countries. Simply attach IWA from the rear using a small bracket to user’s wheelchair, this bracket slides into the mechanism located at the back of the device. So as the user moves forward, this system lifts the two front castor wheels above the ground then the bracket locks and secures the chair, distributing weight evenly across the four large wheels from IWA and user’s wheelchair. In this way, wheelchair user can easily travel outside his or her house and faster. Simply disconnect IWA when the destination is reached.

Designer : Oscar Fernandez

Read the rest of this entry »

Transferring patient with minimum mobility to a bathtub or a wheelchair can be really difficult and uncomfortable. Lucy Lift has been designed to answer this problem; it’s an ideal patient transfer lift that provides easy transport as well as essential hygiene services, like we mentioned previously going to the toilet or taking a bath. Based on in-depth researches and interviews, this industrial designer identifies some major issues with current bath lifts, therefore it needs new bath lift design that addresses all those problems.

The main objective of this project is to provide the most comfortable, easy to use and logical transfer lift while at the same time encouraging an emotional bond between the user and lift. Emotional connection can be formed based on the anamorphic design, it gives the lift a personality that makes user feels comfortable when using it. Lucy Lift protects patient’s dignity, especially during patient’s journey from and to the bathroom.

Designer : Elman Lewis

Read the rest of this entry »

Velo Modular Handcycle for wheelchair user has been designed to facilitate individuals who want to get active or simply want to try to do sports activities. Aimed at Disability sports clubs, Velo features modular interface that offers a fresh look on increasing popular sports for wheelchair users. With The Olympics and Paralympics scheduled for summer 2012 in the United Kingdom, there is an expected projection in unique sports players following the games. Every part of Velo is interchangeable when required, meaning damaged parts and new updates aren’t costly. The adjustability allows Velo to be clipped onto most everyday wheelchairs on the market, removing the need for curious wheelchair users to buy specialist equipment.

Designer : Mark Wafforne

Read the rest of this entry »

Transferring patients from bed to wheelchair or vice versa can be pretty difficult. Medirobot or Medical Robot Assistant can intuitively transfer patients in hospital efficiently without the need of an extra wheelchair. This robot lifts patients easily, it will drastically reduce physical efforts for the caregiver. Doctors and nurses can read any crucial patient’s health information through the robot’s body because it serves as information terminal for the patient as well.

Medirobot was the result as collaboration between Taipei Municipal Yan Ming Home and Pilotfish for disabled people. Originally the concept came from Nancy Nguyen and Jules Parmentier (Pilotfish Taipei) and finalized by Pilotfish Munich Team.

Designer : Pilotfish

Read the rest of this entry »

Inspired by the principle of seesaw, Flume Bathtub has been designed with tilted mechanism to help wheelchair-bound people easily move their body from the wheelchair into the bathtub. It’s a good design to enable wheelchair-bound people to get into bathtub independently without the need assistance from others.

User can tilt down this tub to a level at which he or she can take hold of the attached handles and transfer him or herself into the tub. There’s a seat built-in at the point of entry. As water fills the tub, it automatically balances out itself because the weight will be distributed evenly. As user drains the water, he or she can slowly tilt the Flume bathtub again to return to the wheelchair. Our only concern is that, user has to have strong hands to lift him or herself from and into the bathtub.

Designers : Kim Jung Su, Yoon Ji Soo and Kim Dong Hwan

Read the rest of this entry »

The Parafree wheelchair is a sporty core-body training machine for paraplegics with the outstanding benefit of comfort in everyday use. Its design language and structure support active users in self-confidence and independence as you already know, sport can be a passion and helps reduce depression. Sport inspires hope and eases disappointments. This concept wheelchair compels the paralyzed user to keep balance permanently.

The unique and minimalist frame structure of this wheelchair is made of low-cost hydroformed industrial steel. It is light-weight as well as aluminum structure models and retains its necessary rigidity by adapting geometries known from bicycles. The flexible PARACORE base-element under an innovative customized seat-shell leads to an unstable sitting experience.

Designer : Felix Lange

Read the rest of this entry »

This Urban Vehicle Project was a final project of Rudolf Mihu for his Bachelor’s degree in product design. The reason why he chose to design this vehicle was because Rudolf is a fan of transportation design, but not in the area of engine powers, performances and cutting edge stylish design, but rather in its mobility related to our future needs. This project has been designed for congested urban areas such as Hong Kong, China, New York and so on.

After extensive researches, this Urban Vehicle project tries to answer many challenges which are given by our future society. It has to be sustainable, uses non-conventional energy source, lightweight, universal (safe for children, elderly people, physically impaired people, etc.), iconic, interactive, save parking space, adjustable and affordable.

Designer : Rudolf Mihu

Read the rest of this entry »

The main inspiration of Comb Multifolding Wheelchair came from the limitation of space which will be unavoidable in the future. This concept wheelchair features innovative folding mechanism that enables its user to easily store when not in use or when traveling by car. This industrial designer plans to use ultra light yet very durable materials (such as aluminum, carbon fiber or titanium) to construct this wheelchair. If you take a look at its seat structure, you’ll understand where the “Comb” name came from.

Comb Multifolding Wheelchair design applies ground-breaking approaches which enables its user to fully adjust this wheelchair for ultimate comfort and convenience of sitting. It is possible to adjust almost everything, from front seat height, rear seat height, front caster angle, back rest angle, backrest height to foot rest length.

Designer : Rudolf Mihu

Read the rest of this entry »

The Mobi electric folding wheelchair is a powered mobility device designed to meet the lifestyle requirements of our aging population. Mobi reflects the future of products for an aging population. Stylish and convenient, it offers urban mobility alternative to bulky, generic electric scooters.

For added versatility, the design of the wheelchair features an innovative folding mechanism that allows it to be folded up and stored and transported in a vehicle without any need for disassembly. To encourage user independence and promote the user to be physically active, Mobi electric folding wheelchair is controlled similarly to a traditional manual wheelchair; the user pushes on the hand rims. However, force sensors in the hand rims detect the user’s physical exertion and add additional power to the wheels. This means Mobi makes physical movement easier in a similar fashion to power steering in a car.

Designer : Jack Martinich (Monash Uni, Caulfield)

Read the rest of this entry »

This Wheel+Chair concept is very innovative, it transforms your own chair into a fully functional wheelchair. By utilizing user’s own chair, the production and transportation cost of this unit will drastically reduce, a wheelchair without a chair. There are still many disabled people who can’t afford a wheelchair, especially in the world’s poorest regions. Even the cheapest wheelchair can be very expensive for them.

Designers : Prof. Ying Fangtian, Sun Xin, Peng Junjie, Luo Zhening, Gu Shirong, Qiu Yiwu, and Wu Tianyu

Read the rest of this entry »

Disabled people can enjoy touring bicycle racing with Ultra Long Distance Wheelchair. This wheelchair design features the same principles of performance and sturdiness which are used in designing touring bicycles. The main objectives when designing this wheelchair were to provide comfort and optimal performance for its user, it has to be more than just an aspirational stylistic experiment. To push the wheelchair along, tracking motion is required and comfort of the user is paramount.

Designer : Andrew Mitchell

Read the rest of this entry »