The Upstairs and Downstairs Wheelchair

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A revolutionary evacuation wheelchair invented by a design student could save lives in emergencies because it has the capability to go down stairs.

Throughout the world, health and safety legislation and fire services recommend that people do not use lifts to leave buildings during emergencies. But for people with mobility problems this raises a serious issue because they become dependent on their friends and colleagues to assist their escape. This is especially true today with the increasing number of high-rise constructions.

To overcome this pressing problem UK designer Simon Kingston has come up with an innovative solution by creating a wheelchair with a tracked roller system at the front to control the chair's descent and a tri-wheel that allows it to go down each step individually without assistance.

Kingston graduated this year with a first class honours degree in Design for Industry from Northumbria University, north-east England. He originally approached staff at the university's School of Health, Community & Education Studies to find out what equipment was lacking or needed improvement in the health industry.

They advised him that, as a result of new government legislation, companies have a responsibility to get disabled people out of buildings safely. But they found that people did not want to commit to being responsible for getting another person out of a building using the current wheelchairs that need a secondary operator. As a result he came up with his idea for what has now become known as the Multiscape wheelchair.

The chair's arm lever works in a similar fashion to a ratchet screwdriver that propels the wheelchair down the stairs when it is pushed forward. The wheel system at the front of the chair controls the speed and descent down stairs while gears attached to the arm lever and the tri-wheel underneath allow the chair to descend, move along flat ground and turn on the spot, making it ideal for manoeuvring around tight corners on stairwells.

Kingston feels that it could easily be adapted to everyday wheelchairs and be made to go up stairs as well and which would solve many of the accessibility problems that disabled people face.

"I definitely think this could be adapted to a normal wheelchair. I also think it could be made to go upstairs by using either hydraulics or a small motor," he said. "The reason I didn't apply that sort of technology is because there would have been far too much work involved for a final year university project so I thought I would focus on the evacuation aspect."

Carrie Withers, senior lecturer for occupational therapy in Northumbria's School of Health Community & Education Studies said: "I think the wheelchair is a really revolutionary idea that could fill a much-needed gap in the health service industry to enable escape for disabled people while minimising the risk to others.

"I really applaud his initiative and hope that Simon can find a manufacturer for the wheelchair so that it could become available at an affordable price for organisations. His ideas for modifications to allow it to ascend as well as descend should continue to be explored, because the modern neat design would appeal to a range of wheelchair users."

The chair has already received interest from disability groups in north-east England and Kingston is hoping to get financial backing to put the chair into production.

He design has a good pedigree. Northumbria University's School of Design has been widely acknowledged by the design industry as one of the most productive and progressive schools of its kind.

Leading UK newspaper the Financial Times recently described it as a "hothouse for productive ideas". Courses are run in fashion, graphic design, fashion marketing, transportation design, design for industry, complementary design practice, three-dimensional design and multimedia design.

World-renowned designer Bruce Oldfield is not only an honorary graduate of the university but has given a number of master classes to students. Other graduates of the university have gone on to work as creative directors and designers for some of the world's top fashion houses, including Louis Vuitton, DKNY and Ralph Lauren.

Scott Henshall, another graduate, has recently launched his own label, with dresses worn by Jodie Kidd, Denise Van Outen, Darcy Bussell and Victoria Hervey. Additionally, Jonathan Ive, a Design for Industry graduate, has been recognised as one of the most innovative designers in his field. Now vice-president of Industrial Design with Apple, Ive was responsible for designing one of the most recognisable products of the late 20th century: the i-Mac.

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