Honda glide:
wheelchair Concept Design
———————————— HYPOTHESIS
hospital wheelchairs often have several issues that can affect their functionality, comfort, and usability.
Most chairs within a hospital setting feature low padding and poor posture support, compromising comfort for patients. Furthermore, a caretaker is often required to push patients in these chairs for different circumstances, sacrificing autonomy of the patient.
I hypothesize that offering more padding, adjustable seating, improved ergonomics, and motorized movement will improve comfort and independence within the patient.
Note: This project is an independent conceptual product inspired by Honda but is not affiliated with or endorsed by the brand.
ROLE
Project Lead
TEAM
Katie Bush
(solo)
DURATION
March, 2023
2 months
Objective
Design a Personal Mobility Device for young patients with limited leg function, applying the VBL of Honda Products.
PMDs must have wheels, seat, back support, arm support, and leg support.
Target users are young individuals who have temporary or long-term loss of leg function
Ages of users 13-25 Middle school age to young adults
Concepts designed to be implemented within 5 years
Design for public use
Key Design Considerations:
Provides focus for exploration of function, form, materials, technology etc.
Empower exploration into emerging technologies such as AI, battery power, fabrics etc.
State of the art technology such as battery, materials, lighting, AI, user interactions etc.
Accommodate various ages, sizes, shapes, and levels of mobility
———————————— BACKGROUND RESEARCH
Desk research was performed to gain a general background knowledge on assistive technologies, such as prosthetics, crutches, scooters, and wheelchairs.
Further exploration was carried out on wheelchairs for temporary public use, specifically within hospital settings.
Motorized wheelchairs were further explored as an area of interest. Many of these chairs on the market function well, however there is an opportunity to push the visual aesthetics of these devices further.
———————————— VBL MOOD BOARD
Different wheelchair concepts were examined and compiled to define the VBL of the Honda-inspired wheelchair.
———————————— FORM EXPLORATION
Rapid ideation was carried out to explore different forms and functionalities for the wheelchair wheels, seat, backrest, headrest, and armrest.
Key features were then explored in 3D via Nomad Sculpt.
Head Rest Form Exploration
Seat Rest Form Exploration
Back Rest Form Exploration
Armrest Form Exploration
———————————— FINAL CONCEPT
Finalized features were consolidated into a cohesive final concept, with colors, materials, and finishes (CMF) applied.
