Air travel has always presented unique challenges for wheelchair users. From the need to check in their wheelchair as luggage, risking potential loss or damage, to arranging special airport-supplied chairs for boarding and deboarding, it’s a process fraught with inconveniences. But with the introduction of the Revolve Air wheelchair, the narrative might be about to change significantly.
Two years prior, there was a buzz in the mobility industry about the prototype of the Revolve Air. Fast forward to today, and the pioneering wheelchair, a brainchild of Italian mobility designer Andrea Mocellin, has graduated from its prototype phase and is available for purchase via a Kickstarter campaign.
The standout feature of the Revolve Air wheelchair is its patented Revolve folding wheel technology. Unlike conventional wheelchairs, each of the Revolve Air’s two 24-inch wheels are designed with a special mechanism that allows them to fold up. This design features a central hub, six folding aluminum structures that replace the typical spokes, and an aluminum rim separated into six interlocking sections. Each of these sections is fitted with a foam-filled tire.
For those wondering about the security and stability of such a design, the hub contains a locking mechanism that ensures the wheel remains as stable as a conventional wheel when in use. But when it’s time to store the wheel, a simple release of this mechanism allows the hub to separate, enabling the “spokes” and rim sections to fold inwards, in a manner reminiscent of an umbrella’s ribs.
Complementing its folding wheels, the Revolve Air also boasts a tubular aluminum frame that can fold, essentially doubling as a carrying case for the two folded wheels. This clever design allows for a 60% size reduction, enabling the wheelchair to comfortably fit within an airliner’s overhead baggage compartment. Moreover, the entire assembly weighs in at a manageable 10.8 kg (23.8 lb), enhancing its portability.
So, what does this mean for wheelchair users? It implies a potential end to the days of checking in wheelchairs. With the Revolve Air, users can simply board the plane, fold up their chair, and store it conveniently above their seat.
For those interested in owning this game-changing piece of mobility tech, a pledge of €4,681 (about US$4,901) is the current Kickstarter price, with the planned retail price set at $7,500. For those already owning a third-party folding wheelchair and only interested in the folding wheel technology, the Revolve wheels can be purchased separately for €2,838 ($2,971) a set, with the retail price at $3,500.
To truly appreciate the revolutionary design and utility of the Revolve Air wheelchair, interested parties can view a demonstration in the video below.
Startup
A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship refers to all new businesses, including self-employment and businesses that never intend to become registered, startups refer to new businesses that intend to grow large beyond the solo founder. At the beginning, startups face high uncertainty and have high rates of failure, but a minority of them do go on to be successful and influential. Some startups become unicorns; that is privately held startup companies valued at over US$1 billion.
Actions
Startups typically begin by a founder (solo-founder) or co-founders who have a way to solve a problem. The founder of a startup will begin market validation by problem interview, solution interview, and building a minimum viable product (MVP), i.e. a prototype, to develop and validate their business models. The startup process can take a long period of time (by some estimates, three years or longer), and hence sustaining effort is required. Over the long term, sustaining effort is especially challenging because of the high failure rates and uncertain outcomes. Having a business plan in place outlines what to do and how to plan and achieve an idea in the future. Typically, these plans outline the first 3 to 5 years of your business strategy.
Design principles
Models behind startups presenting as ventures are usually associated with design science. Design science uses design principles considered to be a coherent set of normative ideas and propositions to design and construct the company's backbone. For example, one of the initial design principles is "affordable loss".
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