The WheelAir Aims to Make People With Disabilities More Comfortable
Mishal Omar — June 1, 2017 — Lifestyle
References: staelsdesign & kickstarter
People who have mobility issues and require a wheelchair could benefit greatly from WheelAir, a backrest cushion designed by Corien Staels to ensure their comfort and safety.
The WheelAir is the first of its kind on the market, and is able to cool all manual wheelchairs. It is able to support the user's back while gently blowing cool air onto their back with its incorporated fan technology. The fan aims to keep the user comfortable, safe when it is excessively hot outside, and prevents them from sweating too much.
The WheelAir has four different cooling levels, a 20 hour battery life, is machine washable and weighs less than 1 kg – making it easily portable and simple to use.
The WheelAir is the first of its kind on the market, and is able to cool all manual wheelchairs. It is able to support the user's back while gently blowing cool air onto their back with its incorporated fan technology. The fan aims to keep the user comfortable, safe when it is excessively hot outside, and prevents them from sweating too much.
The WheelAir has four different cooling levels, a 20 hour battery life, is machine washable and weighs less than 1 kg – making it easily portable and simple to use.
Trend Themes
1. Mobility Assistance Technology - There is an opportunity for other companies to innovate cooling technologies that can be integrated into other mobility aids like walkers, crutches or scooters
2. Personalized Health and Wellness - Tailored cooling and therapeutic accessories could be developed to promote not only comfort but also better posture and circulatory health.
3. Green Energy in Healthcare - The market for environmentally friendly medical devices is expanding, so there is significant opportunity to explore the intersection of power, cooling, and battery life for both electronic mobility aids and other devices.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare and Medical Devices - The healthcare sector could benefit from investment in innovative assistive technologies for people with mobility issues like cooling wheelchairs, helping providers to deliver supportive and patient-centered care
2. Rehabilitation and Physical Therapies - Physical therapists and rehabilitation centers are well-positioned to leverage cooling technology and design accessories that can be incorporated into inpatient and outpatient care environments, like cooling tapes or waistbands, to provide relief throughout the rehabilitation process
3. Travel and Leisure - The tourism sector and hotels should aim to provide excellent services and facilities for visitors with mobility issues, so there's an opportunity for the development of cooling technologies which can be integrated into various mobility equipment and furniture for recreational activities or transportation.
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