Designed to upgrade the wheelchair into a makeshift electric trike, the UNAwheel clamps onto the front of a traditional wheelchair, allowing the occupant to ride around like a kart. The purpose of the design is to “help overcome some of the main mobility challenges faced by people with disabilities”, say the designers. It comes with an adjustable handlebar and a replaceable rechargeable battery pack, and can quickly be attached to and detached from the wheelchair.
The way it works is simply by hooking onto an existing wheelchair and pulling it along, the way a horse pulls a chariot. It attaches to the wheelchair so that you don’t need to worry about holding onto it, and the handlebar system lets you accelerate, decelerate, and even take turns. Buttons near the handlebars even let you choose whether you want to travel forward or in reverse, and a horn lets you conveniently alert people ahead of your presence… although given its setup and target audience, I doubt the UNAwheel really travels at dangerous speeds. It’s perfect for people who can’t maneuver wheelchairs, or have to deal with terrain and uphill commutes. When you don’t need it, the UNA wheel simply detaches from the wheelchair, turning it into a hand-operated vehicle once again.
The UNAwheel is a winner of the iF Design Award for the year 2021.
Designer: ART UP Studio for SupremeMotors
