Revolutionary Wheelchair

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Revolutionary evacuation wheelchair photo at

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=4030

12-Aug-2004 News-Medical.Net

Northumbria University student has invented a revolutionary evacuation

wheelchair that could save lives in emergencies because it has the

capability to go down stairs without someone else pushing it.

Health and safety legislation and the Fire Brigade recommend that people

do not use lifts to exit buildings during emergencies. However, for

people with mobility problems this raises a serious issue as they become

dependent on their friends and colleagues to assist their safe escape.

Simon Kingston, who graduated this year with a first class honours

degree in Design for Industry has come up with a solution to this

problem by designing a wheelchair with a tracked roller system at the

front to control the chair's descent and a tri-wheel that allows it to

go down each step individually without assistance.

Simon approached staff at Northumbria University's School of Health,

Community & Education Studies to find out what equipment was lacking or

needed improvement in the health industry. They advised him that, as a

result of new government legislation, companies have a responsibility to

get disabled people out of buildings safely but initial findings were

that people did not want to commit to being responsible for getting

another person out of a building using the current wheelchairs that need

a secondary operator. As a result Simon came up with his idea for the

Multiscape wheelchair.

The chair's arm lever works in a similar fashion to a ratchet

screwdriver which propels the wheelchair down the stairs when it is

pushed forward. The wheel system at the front of the chair controls the

speed and descent down stairs whilst gears attached to the arm lever and

the tri-wheel underneath allow the chair to descend, move along flat

ground and turn on the spot, making it ideal for manoeuvring around

tight corners on stairwells.

Simon feels that it could easily be adapted to everyday wheelchairs and

be made to go up stairs as well which would solve many of the

accessibility problems that disabled people face.

Simon said: " I definitely think this could be adapted to a normal

wheelchair, I also think it could be made to go upstairs by using either

hydraulics or a small motor. The reason I didn't apply that sort of

technology is because there would have been far too much work involved

for a final year University project so I thought I would focus on the

evacuation aspect. "

Withers, Senior Lecturer for Occupational Therapy in the School

of Health Community & Education Studies at Northumbria University said:

" I think the wheelchair is a really revolutionary idea that could fill a

much needed gap in the health service industry to enable escape for

disabled people whilst minimising the risk to others.

" I really applaud his initiative and hope that Simon can find a

manufacturer for the wheelchair so that it could become available at an

affordable price for organisations. His ideas for modifications so it

can ascend as well as descend should continue to be explored, as the

modern neat design would appeal to a range of wheelchair users. "

The chair has already received interest from disability groups in the

North East of England and Simon is hoping to get financial backing to

put the chair into production.

http://northumbria.ac.uk/