Step Climbing Attachment for Powered Wheelchairs - Prototype Development
0:06-0:17 One of the big mobility concerns that a lot of people with disabilities face is being able to cross a road, being able to get into many many buildings.
0:19-0:33 The step climber works by replacing the existing wheels with a new set of wheels that acts as actuators between the wheelchair and the ground. And this allows the wheelchair to climb up or down a step by lifting or lowering itself.
0:38-0:47 The ability to climb a single step is absolutely fundamental to being able to participate in many aspects of life.
0:48-0:58 Much more capable than some of the existing step climbing options and we are able to climb a full standard roadside curb and down a step as well, which is a limitation that some others face.
1:14-1:22 Some of the things that make the step climbing wheelchair so innovative are the fact that the mechanisms are contained in such a small space.
1:23-1:42 There’s a lot of power required to do a step climbing action and it was a big challenge but we’ve got it down to a very small compact space. And that allows the wheels that we’ve added on to behave exactly the same way as the wheels that we’re replacing. So when you’re not climbing a step, the behaviour of the wheelchair is exactly the same as a regular wheelchair.
1:43-1:57 Because the step climber is retrofittable to a wide range of wheelchairs means that the user does not necessarily have to buy a new wheelchair in order to access the technology. This makes it quite an affordable option
2:00-2:15 Just about everybody who I’ve spoken to have said that they would absolutely love the opportunity to be able to add on the function of being able to climb up and down the step. So it’s really exciting and a really great opportunity to be involved.
The majority of us take the small steps up and down curbs, or in and out of buildings without a second thought. However, for more than 17,000 Australians who rely on electric wheelchairs to get around, even these small steps can cause huge problems.
This project aims to enable users to navigate kerbs and single steps by providing an affordable add-on attachment which can be fitted to the users existing chair thus providing the additional functionality without requiring the purchase of a whole new wheelchair. This will enable wheelchair users to more easily navigate public streets and many buildings throughout the world, further leveling the playing field and helping to build an inclusive society.
Current research and development is focused on producing a commercial-grade prototype for demonstration.
Chief Investigator
Funding
- Mobility 2000 Australia Ltd Partnership / Northcott Society
Year
- 2014-Current
Patent
- PCT Publication No: WO2012/106756 “Step-Climbing Attachment for a Wheeled Chair”.