AWARDS MATERIALS

Whirlwind's Challenge and Solution Statement

> AWARDS MATERIALS

> CHALLENGE AND SOLUTION STATEMENT

Name of Design:   The Whirlwind RoughRider™

Official Project Designers:  Ralf Hotchkiss; Christopher Howard, Co-Designer

Manufacturer of Exhibition Sample: Corporación Regional de Rehabilitación del Valle (CRRValle), Cali, Colombia. ) TOTEM is the wheelchair’s name in Colombia.  TOTEM stands for TOdo TErreno Movilidad (All Terrain Mobility). In English and in Spanish, a totem is a Native American symbol of power.

Challenge:  30 million people in developing countries need a good wheelchair, but standard wheelchairs are dangerously unstable, usually not locally repairable, and unsuitable for rough environments.

Solution:  The Whirlwind RoughRider™

• Longer wheelbase makes wheelchair stable, safer, and easier to push.

• Caster wheels below the footrests shorten overall wheelchair length, maintaining maneuverability.

• Solid molded rubber caster wheel with wide flexible tread provides “flotation” over soft or uneven ground; Tread’s center is ridged to limit friction on hard ground.

• 5-Position Rear Axle Mounts optimize stability and performance for different user abilities.

• Greater Seat Recline improves torso stability.

• Toe protectors shield bare feet in frontal impacts.

• Mountain Bike Tires.

• Locally available parts and materials guarantee easy, cheap repair and longer useful life.