This is my concept of the Bauhaus B3 (Wassily) chair if it were a wheelchair. The main difference is obviously the addition of the wheels and the back being extended higher, but all the dimensions of the chair were in fact modified so that it would be more suitable as a wheelchair.
I appreciate that the placement of the third (castor) wheel would not allow for a very large base, and in practise this wheelchair may not be very stable.
This image shows the footrest of the chair in its deployed state.
Of all the concepts this is by far the most similar to existing wheelchairs, and may even go unnoticed if it were produced.
This concept is based upon Gerrit Rietveld's Red and Blue Chair, and is electrically powered.
In theory, this concept is much better than the B3 in terms of anthropometrics, ergonomics, and weight distribution, and the batteries for the motors could be concealed inside the frame of the chair. The control lever is designed to blend in with the rest of the design as much as possible.
This image shows the Red and Blue Chair with the footrest in the lowered position.
The most original concept was based upon the Herman Miller Sayl chair, which I called "Roal".
Roal has more in common with mobility scooters than wheelchairs, which was the intention.
Reclining the seat would lower the centre of gravity, making the chair safer at higher speeds.
As the project progressed, I realised that the various mechanical joints would be too small to support the required weight. In reality this chair would require much more robust supports.
Changing the position of the seat and rests would also help to relieve pressure sores.
The technology built into a lot of Herman Miller products would find a number of applications in the medical industry.
Of all the concepts, Roal would be the most likely to appear as a normal chair.
The addition of small LED headlights at the front are to emphasise the outdoor focus of the chair, the technology inside the chair, and also the environmentally conscious design as with all Herman Miller products.
A rear light highlights the focus on safety in general.
The main control is a simple circular touch sensitive area, with the centre being neutral and the area around in front and behind it corresponding to forward and rearward motion, and the sides being used to drive the wheels in opposite directions and pivot the chair on its axis.
Two touch sensitive buttons are used to increase or decrease the recline of the chair.
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Wheelchairs
I have always had an interest in wheelchairs and what they would look like if they could be designed with a larger emphasis on aesthetics and form rather than function.
With this in mind, I decided to make some concepts of what wheelchairs may look like if they were designed by famous companies.
