Core77

Great Industrial Design Student Work: An Open-Source Wheelchair Designed from Cast-Offs

Repurposed bicycles, office furniture and shopping carts

By Rain Noe - August 1, 2023

in design.edu

This Unimo project was done by Winson Cheng, while studying Product Design at Australia's UTS (University of Technology, Sydney). It's not so much a singular design as a concept for how to provide wheelchairs to underprivileged people in remote areas.

"Unimo (Universal Mobility) conceptualises an all-terrain mobility device for disabled communities in rural areas. Targeted to fulfill unmet disability needs through open-source manufacturing, Unimo takes advantage of readily available waste material to showcase a package with unique aesthetics."

"The reuse of parts from bicycle scrap, used office chair waste and shopping carts dumped in rural areas visibly emphasises the theme of resourcefulness."

"Production and technical simplicity allow it to be assembled by volunteers from a wide knowledge background."

"Experiments with various attachment configurations helped achieve a minimal amount of parts while retaining a safe, rigid structure."

"The design is inspired by the 'form follows function' philosophy with consideration of ergonomics and safety standards at the forefront, and a stylish look that will empower its users."

o
5

Favorite This
Q
4

Comment

Comments

Sam Kahn

a year ago

Z

1Z

Reply

As a wheelchair user, I think the design here is fundamentally flawed. Having a wheel in the back makes it impossible to tilt the chair back to get up a step.
It also appears that it can’t be folded for transport.

!Report as spam
Aarni Kontio

a year ago

Z

Z

Reply

Immediate thought is that what happens if the person using this leans forward and can't support themselves with legs...

!Report as spam
simon a.

a year ago

Z

Z

Reply

I seriously doubt there has been a investigative part in the design process.

!Report as spam
Zach W

a year ago

Z

Z

Reply

I don't see any working prototypes.....

!Report as spam