Search our Innovation Portfolio

Patients in a ward environment are at risk of developing muscle wastage whilst in hospital due to a natural deterioration in their physical function as a result of their immobility. This patient exercise system is designed to maintain a patients pre-admission level of function and to improve their muscle strength whilst in hospital with a view to being discharged home more quickly.

The Inclusiviti Chair delivers improvements through intuitively controlled Mecanum wheels. These comprise of hubs with several elliptical rollers placed at an angle around the periphery. Mounted in groups of four, Mecanum-wheeled systems achieve omnidirectional movement by varying speed and rotation direction of different wheels. This allows unrivalled manoeuvrability- crabbing and diagonal movement in a compact footprint. Further step-change improvements will be designed and tested as follows: A motorised mechanism to raise and lower so users can reach a kitchen worktop or sit at a table. An automatic tilting mechanism that increases stability on ramps and incled surfaces will increase a user's reach. The Inclusivity chair is a fraction of the cost of adapting houses for elderly residents, and will be re-usable. Close links to the University of Sheffield give access to the Centre for Assistive Technologies and Connectivity in Healthcare (CATCH), who will assist in evaluation.