Ham-Driod Wheelchair

A wheelchair needs to be what it is

A wheelchair needs to be what it is, not a “short-cart”. Ham-Driod is a conceptual hybrid wheelchair designed for ruggedness, smartness and efficiency. Because of its ability to manoeuvre at a considerable speed on all terrain, Ham-Driod was designed to take the look of a cheetah.

In my design consideration, we put young adults and children with walking disability in mind, to design a wheelchair that would interest them enough to use. Hence we explored a look that would seem less serious — less like an adult vehicle.

Design considerations

After field interviews and design empathy, the following considerations were made.

Size of the device

We planned to moderate the size of the product to its smallest possible dimension so as not to take unnecessary space. As such, we decided to take away some common superfluous accessories found on a conventional wheelchair.

Cost

The major population of challenged persons can be found in low-income and pre-urban areas, so we tried to reduce the internet dependency of the product for low-income users on limited features, while providing an internet-dependent autonomous subscription version with unlimited premium features for those who can afford it.

User friendliness

We made Ham-Driod friendly by reducing the number of buttons and icons in the software and concentrating on the things that matter.

Mechanics

• Controls and seat. The seat has three degrees of freedom — rotary, front and back, up and down.
• Shock absorption. A central shock absorber provides a smooth ride on all terrains.
• Adjustable footrest. The footrest adjusts to accommodate any size of user, with auto-adjustment capability.