The folding (wheelchair) wheel

This wheelchair wheel can fold away for travel and storage and is set to revolutionize the world of fordable wheelchairs. For the first time, a folded wheelchair can fit in an overhead locker of an airplane, or trunk of a smart car. The folded wheels take on a much smaller and more convenient shape, snugly fitting into corners at home or when travelling. 

When folded, this wheel takes up only 12 liters of space, compared with 22 liters when it is circular and in use. That’s nearly half the volume saved. Originally, this fordable wheel was designed to allow folding bicycles to have bigger wheels, bridging the gap in performance between these and regular bikes. However, after being selected as one of 10 finalists in the Saatchi & Saatchi World Changing Ideas Award, the design caught the attention of the worlds press and resulted in a phenomenal response from wheelchair users. The wheel has been developed with support from the Royal College of Art, the Wingate Foundation and the James Dyson Foundation.

Source: vitaminsdesign.comAdded: 17 January 2013