Reinventing the wheel: New design with built in suspension
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An Israeli farmer has reinvented the wheel after an accident left him wheelchair-bound.
When Gilad Wolf broke his pelvis in 2008, he wanted to continue work - but found a wheelchair was not ideal for traversing fields.
After years of development, he managed to do the seemingly impossible - and reinvent the wheel.
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The Acrobat wheelchair, which shows off the unique design
HOW IT WORKS
The SoftWheel's design features a rim that has three shock absorbing compression cylinders.
This suspends the wheel's hub while evenly distributing mass along the chair, giving the rider the ability to easily descend stairs and overcome bumps.
The 'selective suspension' mechanism remains static on standard floors or pavements, but prompts a shift upon hitting an obstacle.
Upon hitting the bump, the wheel's hub moves into action, extending or shrinking symmetrically as needed and dramatically reducing the shock transmitted.
The SoftWheel's design features a rim that has three shock absorbing compression cylinders.
This suspends the wheel's hub while evenly distributing mass along the chair, giving the rider the ability to easily descend stairs and overcome bumps.
The 'selective suspension' mechanism remains static on standard floors or pavements, but prompts a shift upon hitting an obstacle.
Upon hitting the bump, the wheel's hub moves into action, extending or shrinking symmetrically as needed and dramatically reducing the shock transmitted.
'Very quickly we understood it's not just about putting the suspension inside the wheel," SoftWheel CEO Daniel Barel told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
'The beauty of our technology is not only that it's an integral part of the wheel, it's selective and symmetric.
'That's the game-changer.'
How it workds: Upon hitting the bump, the wheel¿s hub moves into action, extending or shrinking symmetrically as needed and dramatically reducing the shock transmitted.
Whereas 30-35 percent of the propulsion energy provided to a typical wheel goes into the suspension – to sustain sagging and bobbing – approximately 97 percent of the propulsion energy provided to the SoftWheel system goes right into the wheel itself, Barel said.
The firm has already developed a wheelchair and a bicycle using the technololgy, which it hopes to sell soon.
The fluent,. the bicycle version of the wheel, which is expected to go on sale next year.
With our unique design, the Acrobat wheel delivers flexibility while preserving wheel functionality with no added energy loss and bouncy unstable sensation,' the firm said.
'On flat terrain it rolls like a rigid wheel and only when encountering impacts the suspension mechanism jumps into action to absorb the shock from the impact, lessening the stress to the rider's body.'
However, it says the system could work for any type of wheel.
The firm is about to starting selling the Acrobat wheelchair wheels,, and hopes the bicycle wheels will follow next year.
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