Project liftoff

For many elderly people, my grandmother included, getting into and out of chairs is a difficult task. But entering and leaving cars can be even more difficult, because of the low seats and required swiveling motions. Existing solutions designed for armchairs in the home aren’t suitable for cars, because they cannot be used from the side. Solutions for cars are either reminiscent of a stack of books, or are a fully vehicle-integrated electromechanical system costing thousands.

Mobility is an important aspect of independence for older adults, enabling them to maintain links with family members, shop for themselves and reach support groups or hobbies. Whilst pensioners in urban areas can often use public transport, those who live in rural zones may rely on cars for transportation, either as a driver or as a passenger. It is therefore critically important that the elderly are able to enter and leave cars without hurting themselves, while maintaining dignity and independence.

PROBLEM >>>

This idea was conceptualized within the context of a class I took at MIT titled Human Factors Engineering. After the inital idea, I had the help of 4 other people to conceptualize the mechanism and design. And of course my grandma, who I consulted for user support. She gave me great feedback for a second iteration, as well as a calculated visual of her behind's trajectory.

To remedy the issues above, we designed a sitting aid which can swivel through 90 degrees so that older adults can sit into the car, before rotating themselves into a driving or forward facing position. In addition, the product would make use of a pneumatic mechanism which can provide enough force to support the user’s body weight moving from a sitting to standing position or vice versa, and which is actively controlled by the user throughout the standing and sitting process. Since the mechanism is able to deflate entirely once the user is seated, it has a low profile, maintaining driving position and comfort. Using an airbag allows this product to become exceptionally flat, which also allows it to be a relatively unnoticeable addition to the car seat. It could not only to be used in personal vehicles, but rideshare vehicles such as Uber and Lyft that want to expand their customer base. The design allows rideshare passengers who don’t need

The redesign, inspired from existing sitting aids, accomplishes the following:

Swiveling motion in order to enter and exit a vehicle
Fully weight-bearing assistance when beginning to stand or lowering to sit
Controlled descent and ascent speeds
Low profile
Vehicle add-on; adjustable for any vehicle or chair use, or no use without removal
Safety and comfort: the foam grip allows the user to grip the edges of the seat, a gut reaction, without pinched fingers.

This product provides lifting support, but requires an initial effort. The descent and ascent is uncontrolled and it isn't very portable or adaptable for vehicle use. It has no handles or other additional support.

SOLUTION >>>

This design was judged in front of industry and engineering professionals, and won the favorite. We were then offered support to develop our idea from the MIT Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship (I'm still considering a follow up).