University Student Design Competition

[mgwmgw]

Contact : boltburdonkemp.co.uk
...
In collaboration with Cerebra (a charity helping children with brain conditions), specialist injury lawyers, Bolt Burdon Kemp have launched a competition in a bid to discover a new generation of designers for people living with spinal injuries, with the winning entry receiving £3000 and an additional £2000 being awarded to the winning team’s university.

https://www.disabled-world.com/entertainment/competitions/designers.php

Anyone know some students whom they want to advise? Do we have any students living with spinal cord injury in the group?

Here are some problems I would love students to solve:

• I am trying to take a pill and I have dropped it onto the floor. I cannot lean down far enough to pick it up easily.
• I have fallen out of my chair and need help getting back in.
• My chair is tearing up the floor.

[foghornleghorn]

I am trying to take a pill and I have dropped it onto the floor. I cannot lean down far enough to pick it up easily.

There are all sorts of pick up / grabber claw tools available. Not sure a new version can be invented.

Either that or put a sock over the end of a vacuum cleaner nozzle and use the suction to pick up the pill.

I have fallen out of my chair and need help getting back in.

Seatbelt. Don't fall out and you won't need rescuing.

My chair is tearing up the floor.

Get rid of the carpet. Wooden/laminate flooring or tiles.

Where do I collect the £3000?

[flagman1776]

I'd like to see a center footplate which could go away when not needed. I'm framing the question vaguely on purpose to allow thinking outside the box. Why? To allow those who can stand to transfer to do so. To get closer for those who can't.

[Burgerman]

They already do that.

[foghornleghorn]

My home-made centre footplate is fixed to the chair using the mounting point intended for the stupid kerb climber. It folds upwards behind your legs by lifting your feet off it out of the way then pulling on a bit of rope.

[Irving]

I'd want the centre footrest to split to go either side of a table pillar.

[Burgerman]

Fold it up.

[greybeard]

Forget wheelchair design. Come up with a way of levelling our appalling UK footpaths (sidewalks) so that wheelchair users can navigate them without shaking their teeth out or suffer spasms from the vibration that even the best suspension has difficulty dealing with.

[Burgerman]

But these are design students. They MUST be able to fit those funny wheels that can move sideways, and try to make it climb stairs. So its a unique new invention using the latest technology just like all the rest...

[flagman1776]

I see stair climbers and they scare the crap outta me. My balance is totally forked. Before we knew I had MS, I rode with my wife in a driving cart behind her Morgan driving horse... I could ride my horse fine but the motion of the cart had me fearing for my life.

I can see the usefulness of a single curb climber, but a flight of stairs? NO.

[Irving]

Fold it up.

No good, I need my feet supported...

[stevelawiw]

I would like to be able to buy at reasonable cost a wheelchair that only needs to be charged once a week.

[foghornleghorn]

I'd want the centre footrest to split to go either side of a table pillar.

Can you manage with a permanent gap in the centre of the footrest?

[foghornleghorn]

I would like to be able to buy at reasonable cost a wheelchair that only needs to be charged once a week.

1. What is reasonable cost?
2. What is weekly usage?

[Burgerman]

£1
1000 Miles.

[Irving]

I'd want the centre footrest to split to go either side of a table pillar.

Can you manage with a permanent gap in the centre of the footrest?

Then that would be just like normal footrests. I want the benefit of a central footrest most of the time, but with ability to put my feet either side of a table pillar when I need to.

[Burgerman]

Fold up footplate?
Make one that slides apart?
Saw off table leg?
Saw off own legs?
Dont sit on the corner!

[snaker]

A chair that uses 48V power, can run 20-30kph ... safely and is not as expensive as Bounder.

That's all we need

[Irving]

Fold up footplate?
Make one that slides apart?
Saw off table leg?
Saw off own legs?
Dont sit on the corner!

it seems to be the norm these days that Cafes have tables with a single central pillar leg. At the moment my feet on the standard footrests go either side. My friend has a central footrest and can never get close to the table.

[wheelie junkie]

I removed the allen bolt holding the centre footrest arm and footplate and replaced with an easy to use bolt with a lever handle so I could use my FES bike. It takes a few seconds for my support workers to remove the arm and plate with no tools required. All I need to do now is enrol on an open university design course and I could be £3000 richer

[foghornleghorn]

it seems to be the norm these days that Cafes have tables with a single central pillar leg. At the moment my feet on the standard footrests go either side. My friend has a central footrest and can never get close to the table.

If they are square tables (and aren't wobbly) ask the café to push two together so you can sit at the join with no leg in front of you.

[Irving]

it seems to be the norm these days that Cafes have tables with a single central pillar leg. At the moment my feet on the standard footrests go either side. My friend has a central footrest and can never get close to the table.

If they are square tables (and aren't wobbly) ask the café to push two together so you can sit at the join with no leg in front of you.

Often do, but no good at busy times, and my fav cafe where we meet for a fry-up lunch once a month only has round ones...