Innovative Wheelchair Design Developed for Ease, Energy Efficiency and User Comfort
Navigating manual wheelchairs on uneven pavements can be an exhausting and joint-straining task. However, two researchers from ETH Zurich , Reto Togni and Stefan Villiger, have come up with an innovative solution that could make steering manual wheelchairs much easier and energy-efficient. Drawing inspiration from everyday items like shopping trolleys, they developed a wheelchair with a moveable backrest, which they are now working to bring to market through their start-up, Versive.
Wheelchair users face significant challenges when navigating sidewalks. Freely rotating small front wheels, while improving agility, make it difficult to travel in a straight line on uneven surfaces. This problem forces users to constantly correct their direction using one hand to brake and the other to propel, leading to energy depletion and joint strain, particularly in the shoulders and arms.
Togni and Villiger’s solution replaces traditional steering with a backrest that allows the user to steer by shifting their body weight. Leaning to the left or right steers the wheelchair in the corresponding direction. This purely mechanical system reduces the need for braking and propelling, saving energy and lessening joint stress. In tests, participants found it much easier to steer, even on inclines, and required less energy to complete tasks compared to conventional wheelchairs. Notably, they also traveled faster.
The backrest-steering design offers additional health benefits, including improved blood circulation, relief from backaches, and prevention of pressure sores. Users can also navigate with one hand, allowing them to carry items like umbrellas or phones more easily.
While the backrest steering offers many advantages, it does come with a limitation: maneuvering in small spaces or rotating on the spot is more difficult. To address this, the researchers included a lever that switches between traditional wheel-steering and backrest-steering, making it adaptable for various situations.
Inspired by feedback from wheelchair users and observations from activities like skateboarding, Togni began developing the prototype during his master’s degree. Now, alongside Villiger, they continue to refine the technology, aiming to bring it to market through their start-up, Versive, with the support of an ETH Pioneer Fellowship. Their innovative solution promises to enhance the everyday mobility and comfort of wheelchair users while reducing physical strain. This breakthrough design is poised to change how manual wheelchair users navigate the world, making daily travel easier and more enjoyable.
Source: ETH Zurich
Category: Technology & Devices
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