The team designed a motorized chair for him that enables him to move around the room and get familiar with operating a motorised chair. The chair has interchangeable parts, velcroed down, depending on Hans's abilities and his size - with options for him to sit in a tumble form chair or on his parent’s lap, as well as button and joystick controls depending on his ability. Of course, safety always comes first, so the chair is designed with both bumpers and sensors that stop the chair from running into walls. The motorised chair features detachable seats which can be replaced to adjust to different chair sizes used by the child at his different developmental stage. The chair can be replaced with a cushion for the parent to sit on it with the child in order to get used to the movement of the vehicle before he is comfortable powering it on his own.
The team explored many crawling and walking design ideas, but after discussing with both of Hans's parents and physical therapists, they realized that mobility was the key and they needed to make a motorized chair for him.
Hans is 19 months old and has Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy. While most kids his age are exploring the world, he is confined to the arms of one of his parents. Even though he can’t crawl, he loves moving around and he lets his parents know where he wants to go and what he wants to see.
An open-source assistive technology project shared free by TOM: Tikkun Olam Makers.
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