A152 hacking wheelchairs with open design, digital fabrication and the maker movement

1. DisruptDisability
@hackonwheels

2. The
Problem

3. Founder and Director Rachael Wallach
Cambodia, 2013

4. Founder and Director Rachael Wallach
Cambodia, 2013

5. To give freedom and independence a
wheelchair needs to be customized to the
body, lifestyle and environment of its
user.

6. With traditional design, manufacture and
distribution customization comes with a
prohibitive price.
£££

7. Wheelchair users have limited choice and
control over customizing their
wheelchairs.

8. Worldwide, 65 million
people need a wheelchair.

9. 8 of every 10 people who need a wheelchair
cannot access one that meets their needs.
That’s 52 million people.

10. The
Inspiration

11. e-NABLE

12. Paul, Denise & the
Autodesk
community

13. Open Bionics

14. The Question

15. What would happen if we
disrupted the design,
manufacture and
distribution of wheelchairs,
with user innovation, open
source design and
distributed manufacture?

16. What would happen if we
created an online library of
open source designs and
instructions for making fully
customisable wheelchairs
that anyone can freely use,
adapt and develop?

17. What would happen if we
developed a community of
makers and people who
need wheelchairs:
connected, inspired and
enabled to create fully
customised wheelchairs?

18. The
Solution

19. “I’m not a wheelchair
user.
I wear my wheels.”
It’s not a medical
device, it’s wearable
tech…

20. A modular design with
customizable, interchangeable
parts

21. The wheelchair
user is in
control…
Wheelchair Wearer
Design
Therapist
Manufacture
Customization

22. Open Source Design
Library
designs with i
Virtual Wheelchair
Service
Customized
Wheelchairs
Open source design files for core
wheelchair modules and
components
Hackathons, design challenges & a
platform enable users & designers
to develop & adapt designs
Completed designs with instructions
for how to make them
System and specification of
wheelchair modules, components
and interfaces Fitting platform that
enables the wearer to
fit and customize
their wheelchair
Sensor platform that
gives the wearer
feedback on correct
usage
In well resourced
settings individuals
select a design,
customize it & send it
to a manufacturer
In less resourced
settings NGOs adapt
designs through
local hackathons to
enable local
manufacture
Charity Company Partnerships

23. The Progress

24. 120 people have attended
#HackOnWheels hackathons
150 organisations supporting
#HackOnWheels
1000 members of the
#HackOnWheels movement

25. Volunteer design team creating
a modular system
We’re starting to build our
library on Wevolver
#HackOnWheels design brief
for the RSA Student Design
Awards, sponsored by GDI Hub

26. We’re disrupting
disability.

27. Join us.

28. Twitter:
@HackOnWheels
Website:
www.disruptdisability.org
Email:
disrupt_disability@hackonwheels.org