“First of its kind” power mobility chair to take disabled adventurer to top of Snowdon ‘unaided’
A first-of-its-kind power mobility chair, designed to attempt a solo ascent of Mount Snowdon in 2024, has been unveiled by engineering firm, Rock Engineering and disabled adventurer and war veteran Nick Wilson.
The chair, dubbed ‘RockClimber’, was launched at Rock Engineering headquarter in Towcester, Northants. The event was attended by Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, Morcea Walker MBE, deputy leader of West Northants Council, Councillor Adam Brown, Armed Forces Covenant champion at WNC, Councillor David Smith and representatives from Disability Forum, VR Therapies, Sollus Healthcare and Northamptonshire Sports.
Through the challenge of conquering Snowdon unaided, wheelchair user Nick says that he wants to show in the most extreme way, the everyday challenges that wheelchair users face.
The project aims to demonstrate how inclusive engineering and technology can be used to improve accessibility in urban and rural environments, enabling people reliant on wheelchairs to have greater independence without the risk of falling or getting stuck.
Nick said: “Since becoming semi reliant on my powerchair, I’ve experienced first-hand how bad accessibility can be and whilst momentum is building through the inspirational work of disability influencers and organisations, such as Purple Tuesday who I’m an ambassador of, there’s still a long way to go.
“Therefore, if we can show how engineering and technology can help us adapt to our environment, opposed to adapting our environment to meet our needs, we can make a difference to people’s lives. It’s certainly improved mine!”
Based in its dedicated design and workshop facility in the heart of Motorsport Valley, four miles from Silverstone, Rock Engineering is an advanced engineering company specialising in the mobility, automotive and motorsports sectors.
Elliot Dason-Barber, Director of Rock Engineering, said that the firm needed to take a different approach when designing the custom power mobility chair. He commented: “Off-road wheelchairs already exist, but we needed to design a Mountaineer, not a Trail Runner.
“As a result, we started by defining the physics of climbing steep rocky slopes and this enabled us to produce a realistic specification of the chair. Each system was then designed from a clean sheet, without the limitations of off-the-shelf equipment.”
In the final design RockClimber incorporates several unique engineering solutions that will hopefully propel Nick to the top of Snowdon. In the future the same technology could be adapted for use in everyday chairs to help address the fundamental challenge, which is to improve accessibility for all.”
Professional engineering body, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), is championing the project. Dr Laura Norton, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at IET, added: “Our goal is to engineer a better, more inclusive world for everyone and RockClimber is a great example of why inclusive thinking should be at the centre of any design and engineering project.
“I hope this goes as far as to challenge current wheelchair regulations and manufacture so that in future there will be a single-chair solution that will make a fundamental impact to navigating a range of terrains and break down barriers for many more wheelchair users.”
The next stages will see Rock Engineering and Nick start to test the capabilities of RockClimber in early 2024, before tackling Mount Snowdon in May. To follow the project’s progress visit here.
