Judith Anderson / Industrial Design Engineering

the abilizer: aiding rehabilitation for disabled people

Project supported by The Laura Ashley Foundation

Research and development of a wheelchair-mounted support system to enable wheelchair users to stand and balance in social situations, resulting in a working prototype with full engineering data.

There are compelling clinical reasons why disabled people should have the facility to stand up out of their wheelchair: to aid digestion, maintain muscle elasticity, relieve pelvic pressure and improve blood circulation, for example. But beyond that, there is the social need to avoid the feelings of isolation and exclusion associated with being at a different height when interacting with non-wheelchair users. The Abilizer was initially developed as a MA project at the RCA with Salisbury District Hospital for a focused target group: paraplegics using electrical stimulation to activate the leg muscles used to stand. Here, the project has targeted a broader user base, including the elderly, those with degenerative muscular and neurological conditions, and people in need of ambulant care.

(click for images)

Based on user feedback, component modifications were made to an initial prototype and market feasibility studies conducted. Design for batch production issues were addressed with a selected manufacturer, RT Palmer Ltd. A final pre-production prototype of the Abilizer illustrates its 20 component system and incorporates the key user and design thinking to emerge from the study.

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