TIDAL feasibility project: Wheelchair Rugby, Dr Tim Whitehead, Aston University
TIDAL feasibility project: Bespoke entry-level Wheelchair Rugby chairs through Advanced Distributed Manufacturing
Wheelchair rugby is a critical sport for people with disabilities to develop a sense of community, rehabilitate, and maintain an active lifestyle. However, in low-income countries, wheelchairs, especially sports chairs, are very expensive. This makes it hard for clubs to obtain suitable chairs for different levels of competition. The available chairs lack the bespoke customisation required for increased comfort and performance. Current designs also look and sound intimidating to younger children, putting them off the sport.
To overcome these issues, a British Council project led by Dr Timothy Whitehead from Aston University developed a concept for a bespoke wheelchair with a softer, more inviting appearance, that could be made from recycled plastic, customised based on the user and the type of competition required, and produced locally through 3D printing (aka additive manufacturing).
In a new project funded by TIDAL N+ Dr Whitehead has now taken that concept a crucial step further, putting it through prototyping and testing, to see whether it is really possible to create a low-cost, bespoke customised wheelchair rugby chair that can be locally manufactured from recycled plastic waste.