Extreme Wheelchair Process Book

EXTREME WHEELCHAIR SENIOR THESIS ADAM SILVERSTEIN - IDUS431 - PROF. DAVID RINGHOLZ

TABLE OF CONTENTS INITIAL PROPOSAL

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PROBLEM AND GOALS

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RESEARCH DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES

5 - 12 13

IDEATION

14 - 15

COMPONENT DESIGNS

16 - 27

FINAL DESIGN

28 - 32

UNIVERSAL APPLICATION

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NEW PERCEPTION

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SPECIAL THANKS

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INITIAL PROPOSAL

Emphasizing design’s ability to change lives, this project will give users restricted to a wheelchair, a chance to experience an extreme sport similar to skateboarding, rollerblading, and bmx riding. The project calls for a redesign of the manual wheelchair, modified to take on the ramps and rails of a skate park. Through contextual research and extensive user testing, the crucial aspects required for this redesign will be identified. I will attempt to contact riders with experience in the sport, as their insights will further solidify the key opportunities for this wheelchair. Material application will be stressed as weight, durability, and price will all be key factors to a successful design. The new design should have aesthetics that parallel the loud, fun, and exciting extreme sports culture. A retrofitted wheelchair will be made to test the results of the redesign at local skate parks. Once finalized, a detailed 3-D model will be created, and a 1:3 scale model will be printed. The end result will be a compelling design that will provide a unique opportunity and new inspiration for handicapped extreme sports fans.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

To design a product that would enable physically handicapped users to partake in an extreme sport, they would otherwise not be able to.

GOALS -Design a wheelchair that allows users to experience a unique extreme sport. -Change perception of wheelchair users -Develop new technology for this extreme condition, that can be universally to all wheelchair designs.

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TARGET USERS The point of this project is not to create a product for mass consumption. The physical requirments for an extreme sport like this will only allow for a rather select number of target users. However, it is my hope that through their use of the product, that everyone can be effected. The ideal user for this product is as follows: -Active and outgoing wheelchair users -T1 to S5 spinal cord injuries -Born with mobility impairing diseases such as Spina Bifida -Male and Female -Ages 10 - 35

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USER BACKGROUND “It’s estimated that there are more than 10,500 spinal cord injury cases per year in the United States, the majority of which (78%) involve males between the ages of 16-30.”

“There is a huge suicide rate, nearly 50% (of males), in the first five years of a new injury.”

“there are also subjective factors influencing the integration of wheelchair users into the labour market. These include employers’ attitudes towards wheelchair users and the passivity of disabled people themselves or their reluctance to get involved in working life.”

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CHANGING PERCEPTION For many wheelchair users, self-perception can mean the difference between life and death. For people recently injured, the transition in lifestyle can be beyond devastating and lead to the loss of motivation to live. Evidence has shown that physical activities can lead to a significant increase in the confidence of wheelchair users. With the rapidly expanding popularity of the Xgames, wheelchair skating is sure to attract the attention of many extreme sports fans. For some, it may be a unique opportunity to take part in a sport they have always connected to, while for others, seeing it may be just the motivation they need to keep on going.

“The biggest scores in wheelchair hockey come in confidence” “Research suggests that confidence is the most important predictor of future behavior.” “the development of lifetime physical fitness behaviors, which can improve the overall quality of life and increase longevity”

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USER RESEARCH In the design of a successful product, it is imparative that the designer has a thorough understanding of the people who will be using it. How the product interacts with their wants and needs is the true test of the design’s value. Because the target market for this product is rather specific, getting in touch with these users required a different apporoach than I had used in the past. Rather meeting with users face to face, I was fortunate to find an enthusastic online community of target users to provide me with feedback throughout the process. Among this group was an especially helpful person. Christiaan Bailey, was a professional surfer and skateboarder. After a fall he took skating 5 years ago, he found himself paralyzed from the waist down. Unwilling to give up on what he loved, he pioneered the sports of adapted surfing and wheelchair skating. Today he continues to surf professionally, and is on tour chairskating. Christiaan consititently provided me videos and feedback and in many ways helped to sculpt out the final design.

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FIRST HAND CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH Inorder to gain an even greater understanding of the requirments for this design, I decided to get some first hand experience. I was able to get a hold of an older wheelchair, and take it to the local skatepark to give it a roll around. Though painstaking at times, I was able to identify a significant number of design opportunities. As the project progressed, I continued to modify the wheelchair and test the usability of my concepts. This was especially important in sorting out my vast amount of initial concepts.

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PRODUCT RESEARCH As the medical industry is one that has always been at the forefront of innovation, it was important for me to familiarize my self with everything that is already on the market today. Understanding these products strengths and shortcomings would be essential in the development of the new design. Here I looked at:

Existing wheelchairs Specialized Chairs Suspension Systems Seating and Cushions Frame Designs and Materials Front Castors Wheels and Tires 10

RELATED PRODUCT RESEARCH It was also important to look at products used in sports that will parallal chairskating. As all extreme sports put their equiptment through excessive abuse, these products all implement unique ways of withstanding it. It was also important to note the aesthetics of the equiptment and how the reflect their sports culture. The products I looked at include:

Aggressive Rollerblades BMX Bikes Skateboard Components Skateboarding Footwear Snowboard Bindings

DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES Decrease Weight Increase Durability Dampen Rider From Impacts Increase Control of Rear Wheels

These design opportunites are the foundation for the design to be built of off. It is essential for these aspects to be addressed if the final design is to be successful. From here I entered the ideation stage to attempt to solve these problems.

Improve Ability to Gain and Maintain Speed Establish Aesthetics to Reflect Extreme Sports Culture 12

IDEATION

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REAR WHEELS AND PUSHRIM

Solid Rubber Tires

Silicone Pushrim

While testing the chair, I immediately noticed problems with the design of the pushrim. As I rolled, I would continuously get my fingers caught in the attachment rods. The stainless steel material was also slippery when my hands were sweaty, giving me less control over the chair.

Elastomer Coating

The redesigned pushrim is a more ergonomic form that eliminates any connection gaps that might trap fingers. It is extruded in a rubberized silicon which would allows for better comfort and control while eliminating stress to the fingers palms and wrists. An anodized steel “crash guard” is inserted on the outside to protect the rim from the abuse of the park. The wheel’s unique, woven spoke design allows for it to flex under the constant impacts of skatepark usage. An elastomer coating around the center hub assists in dampening harmful vibrations from rough surfaces.

Anodized Hub

Tri-Flex Carbon Fiber Wheel

Anodized Crash Guard

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DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES: -Increased Durability

-Decreased Weight -Dampen Impacts -Extreme Aesthetics -Increased Control

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FRAME Though the form is relatively conservative, it implements innovative and unique manufacturing techniques to create a frame that is exceptionally rigid and strong, while remaining lightweight. The tubing is custom extruded into an original shape found in high performance bicycle frames. Though more expensive then, the standard oval tubing typically used in wheelchair frames, the specially placed bends of the tubing allows for stress to be redirected for maximum efficiency. Internal butting, another manufacturing technique common in bicycle design, further eliminates weight by thinning the tubing wall thickness in areas of lease stress and thickening it only at the joints where it is needed. The suspension has been moved to the outside allowing for easier access to the air spring’s adjustment dials.

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DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES: -Increase Durability



-Decrease Weight -Dampen Impacts -Extreme Aesthetics

SEAT AND CUSHIONS The hybrid cushion design uses a quarter inch layer of impact gel at the base to dampen vibrations and protect against heavy impacts from landing. Above the gel is a layer of memory foam over an inch thick. The foam allows for the cushion to form to the user’s body, increasing comfort and securing the user’s position. The seat can be wrapped in a variety of materials, from nylon, to neoprene, even leather depending on the user’s preference. Simple snaps quickly and securely attach the cushion to the rigid seat for easy removal and cleaning. The rigid seat attaches securely to the frame thanks to the flat geometry of the tubing. Sculpted of either polyethylene plastic or higher performance carbon fiber, the seat features an aggressive aesthetic with anodized aluminum mesh inserts, and an adjustable back.

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DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES: -Dampen Impacts

Memory Foam

-Extreme Aesthetics -Increase Control

Imapct Gel

FOAM

IMPACT GEL

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GRIND PLATES AND FOOTREST A significant aspect of nearly every extreme sport, from bmxing to snowboarding, is grinding. Grinding is a trick where the rider uses their board, bike, or skates, to slide across a railing or curb. Wheelchair skating is no different, however as the pioneers of this sport have began to experiment with techniques to get their chairs sliding, they have found the wear and tear it puts on their expensive frames detrimental. Inspired by the grind plates of aggressive rollerblades, this design utilizes replaceable polyethylene inserts placed under the footrest and axel to take the substantial abuse of grinding, rather than the frame. Not only will this save the chair from irreparable damage, but their Teflon coating will allow for smoother and quicker grinds than ever before. As the polyethylene begins to wear away it will also great a groove to help keep the rider locked in place.

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DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES: -Dampen Impacts

-Extreme Aesthetics -Increase Control

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PUMPING THE RAMP The essential aspect of almost every extreme sport is ability to pump. This action uses the redistribution of your weight to generate momentum, maintaining or increasing your speed. As seen in the diagram, bending of the knees is used to redistribute the riders weight, which proved to be a limitation in the wheelchair.

Push downward over rear truck at the point of greatest

Push down again on inclined transition Momentum is amplified as your bodies weight moves in the natural direction of the boards movement at the point of greatest slope 23

PUMPING THE CHAIR The final design uses a 4-point hinge and lever system to manually compress the chair’s suspension. This action causes the chairs seat to move downward over the axel, shifting the riders weight and “pumping the ramp.

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INERTIAL SUSPENSION TECH. Handles sit in between the side panels and the rear wheels, in a position easy to grab, while unobtrusive to the rider.

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As the handle is pushed the spring is compressed, shifting the riders weight and “pumping” the rider on the ramp.

Handles position increases leverage allowing for the strut to be fully compressed

DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES: -Improve ability to gain and maintain speed.

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FRONT CASTERS

DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES: -Increased Durability

-Dampen Impacts -Extreme Aesthetics

Based off the engineering of suspension front casters already on the market, this new design specifically fits standard skateboard wheels (4870mm). The main reason for doing this is to connect the sport to the roots from which it has been based. It allows the users to customize their chair with the fun and readily available wheel designs of skateboard companies. Also, this will give extreme wheelchair users a reason to shop at their local skate shops, further exposing this new sport and encouraging new social interactions. The elastomer suspension system helps to dampen the vibrations of impacts and allows the rider to flow smoother over any rough terrain. The new design is shorter than other available casters and relocates material to make for a more durable design and aesthetic.

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F NCE

DE

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

IA ....... 28

WHEELCHAIRS

DEFIANCE

FINAL SOLUTION

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Each component comes together to create a final wheelchair design unlike any other on the market. It successful addresses every design opportunity in a variety of ways, some more convential than others. The overall aesthetic stands out from all other chairs on the market, and compliments the established extreme sports culture that exists today. Whether you use the chair to skate or just get around, it is sure to attract any active, or adventurous wheelchair user.

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UNIVERSAL APPLICATION While the initial intent for the wheelchairs components was to fulfill the needs an extreme sport, the benefits of their design can be seen in more universal applications. -The shock absorbing sport cushion is perfect for anyone at high risk of spinal injury -Ergonoic pushrim gives users greater control of their chair, while eliminating stress to the fingers, plams, wrists, and forearms. -Tri-flex wheel dampens the constant bumps and vibrations of urban traveling, helping to eliminate chronic back pain. -Advanced manufacturing techniques allow for lighter and stronger wheelchair frames that can be enjoyed by everyone.

A NEW PERCEPTION With the introduction of the “Defiance” wheelchair, wheelchair skating can now grow further than ever ever. The chair’s design allows for athletes to go faster, take on bigger gaps, and fly higher than ever before. Anybody can try the sport as the store-ready design allows for anybody who wants one to get one, without any custom building required. As the sport gains publicity, our perceptions as to what is possible, shift drastically. Never before did people imagine someone in a wheelchair dropping in next to a bmxer in the X-games. Never before people imagine someone in a wheelchair ignoring the wheelchair ramps to gap the set of stairs outside their school. And as fans watch their favorite atheles back -flip their wheelchairs on tv, they can feel proud to sit in the same chair as their inspiring heroes. They now know, nothing is impossible.

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SPECIAL THANKS:

Aaron Fotheringham.com for the images Christiaan “Otter” Bailey and the entire Apparelyzed.com Community for their endless help and feedback

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