The prototype waking chair was designed by Martin Harris, a product design student at the university of Derby. It was designed with the aim of providing improved mobility for disabled people. The walking mechanism was inspired by the work of Theo Jansen.
The video is from the BBC east midlands today news broadcast.
The Walking Chair has been designed by Martin Harris as part of his final year project for the degree in product design at the university of derby. The leg mechanism was inspired by the strandbeests created by Theo Jansen. The seat has been designed to be fully adjustable to perfectly fit any user, and all of the electronics including motors and batteries have been taken from a conventional wheelchair (Pride Jet 3). The walking mechanism allows the chair to travel on all terrain both indoors and outdoors. The chair can travel at 4mph with a battery life of approximately 3 hours. It has an unladen weight of 95kg (approx 15 stone) and can carry a passenger of the same weight.
The prototype took a year to design and build. It was built mostly by hand with the aid of family and friends. It will be on display at the New Designers exhibition 2011 from the 6th – 9th July on the university of Derby stand. More information is available at www.WalkingChair.co.uk
