Getting around on a wheelchair is a snap with the right infrastructure in place, but there are moments when local council guidelines for the disabled are not followed, making it inconvenient and downright tricky for one to navigate around. Patrick Hyland, a London-based designer, has come up with what he calls the “Synergise”, a mechanical system that enables wheelchair users to negotiate commonly faced issues such as cambered surfaces. Cambered surfaces tend to affect propulsion as since the wheelchair will naturally veer towards the road through the force of gravity alone, requiring the user to brake on one side while propelling the other, affecting the momentum as well as leading to a higher energy consumption level. In a nutshell, covering a certain distance would make it twice as taxing compared to the energy used by able-bodied people who travel the same distance.
Synergise intends to put an end to that, as it enables wheelchair users to negotiate angled surfaces without expending too much energy, not to mention reducing the risks of RSI (repetitive strain injury) in the process. Hopefully the Synergise system will be able to enter mass production as soon as possible.
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