The Red Dot Design Awards are major international design prizes awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. Every year thousands of companies and designers submit their work in order to be selected for the Red Dot Awards exhibition of the best of the best. A Red Dot means a lot in the world of the design and it’s always a good place to look for the latest and indeed the next mobility products. Very recently the Red Dot Product Award winners for 2014 were announced and there were some innovative and interesting products included.
Take this Solax-S3021 is a lightweight mobility scooter, with a simply but elegant black and white design. With a length of 93 cm and a width of 45 cm, the scooter is particularly small and agile. When not in use, it can be folded and stored compactly. A look at the pictures above shows just how compact it can be!
Another mobility scooter recognised at the Red Dot Awards was the Colibri. The panel described the product as “an attractive and zippy little scooter for urban settings” with changeable colour panels that “emphasise its bright appeal”. Again, this is a lightweight scooter that can easily be dismantled and reassembled. On top of that it has ergonomically shaped handlebars to help alleviate pressure on the joints and larger wheels and seat suspension for higher driving comfort.
The Inuit, from mobility giants Ottobock, is part wheelchair part tank. A tracked vehicle for wheelchair users, it’s suitable for navigating difficult terrain, such as sand or snow. It’s robust and rugged and remains relatively attractive at the same time. It also has an LED lighting system which means it can be used in the dark.
These Let’s Twist Again crutches look colourful and fun. They’re made of lightweight aluminium and have ergonomically designed soft handles. Since the height adjustment holes are only in the lower tube, they discreetly disappear inside the outer tube. They come in green, yellow, orange and transparent models and look like a great addition to the, still rather under-crowded, stylish crutch market.
The beactive+e is a rollator that can also be used with an electric drive to facilitate mobility. We featured it in a previous post, after it was recognised at the iF Awards earlier this year. This walker is stylish and ergonomic and also has an inbuilt electric drive so that you don’t have to exert energy pushing it and can use it purely for stability. It makes it easier to go up hill and it also means that the walker can carry shopping for you almost effortlessly.
The Voyager Evo is a rigid-frame manual wheelchair that is custom-built for each customer, who decides which materials are used. Aluminium, carbon fibre, titanium and magnesium are available to choose from and are combinable as desired. The Red Dot panel was impressed by the simplicity of the wheelchair’s structure and the possibility of personalisation. It was another winner at the iF Awards so it seems to be doing the rounds in the design world too.
The final design to highlight is the WHILL electric wheelchair. The WHILL concept (see previous review)has been around in various forms for a few years now – originally appearing as an attachment for manual wheelchairs – but the general idea remains the same. It uses omni-wheel technology, similar to that found in a segway, to propel the chair with increase manoeuvrability. This latest incarnation of the idea has added creative front wheels which can move from side to side and well as forwards and backwards. The WHILL is easy and intuitive to use and has a really futuristic look. A deserved award from a genuinely innovative product.
Our favourite is the ‘Snug Vest’ that’s a ‘therapeutic garment that provides the calming feeling of a hug to individuals with autism or ADHD’ . I think everyone needs a hug !!