The Israeli company SoftWheel has given a fresh design makeover to the age-old human mobility innovation: the wheel. In what I would call an elegantly simple solution to an ancient, common problem, they have created an inner spoke suspension system for wheelchair tires, and in 2015 they will also be rolling out a similar design for bike tires. The shock-absorbing system allows the wheelchair user (and later on, cyclists) considerably greater comfort and mobility in navigating stairs and curbs without ramps.
For someone with a spine like mine, there may never be a day when I can use technology like this to wheel myself down stairs or unramped curbs, but it will definitely increase the mobility of wheelchair users who do not have delicate spine issues. And until architects get over their obsession with brick and cobblestone sidewalks, this design might allow a little bit more comfort in shopping centers and other public venues.
In fact, SoftWheel's inventor was inspired to solve this problem when an injury forced him into a chair for several weeks and he discovered how agonizing it was to roll over the grooved stone paving slabs commonly used in sidewalks where he lives. Such textured paving methods are apparently all the rage with the engineers of public spaces all over the world, and while I would love to see a complete paradigm shift in the architecture that itself is the problem, innovation like this is certainly a good interim step. It's very encouraging to see great thinkers start turning their attentions to mobility issues of any kind.
This was an exciting read for the improvement for comfort for those in wheelchairs. Thanks for sharing. jkfn
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