Clerkenwell Design Week 2016: Benjamin Hubert's London studio Layer has unveiled designs for a made-to-measure wheelchair that will be manufactured using 3D-printing technology.
The Go wheelchair prototype, set to debut at Clerkenwell Design Week later this month, is the result of a six-month research period carried out by Layer alongside wheelchair users and medical professionals. Described by the London-based studio as a "tool to improve the quality of life of wheelchair users", the 3D-printed chair will feature a made-to-measure seat and foot bay.
Both of these customisable components can be created by mapping the individual user's biometric information and inputting the data into 3D-printing software – something Layer says would be a "world first" for consumer wheelchairs that aren't developed for athletes or as one-off projects.
The seat is then printed in two materials – a semi-transparent resin and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plastic that provides shock-absorption – while titanium will be used to construct the foot bay.
"With the Go wheelchair, we saw an opportunity to really progress the manual mobility category for users with disabilities, and to use 3D-printing technology to solve significant and meaningful problems," said Hubert, who rebranded his studio as Layer last year to concentrate on more "human-focused" projects.
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