The winner of the James Dyson Award in 2009 was AUTOMIST by Yusuf Muhammad and Paul Thomas.
In recognition of their victory, they have won £10,000 to develop their design. £10,000 will also be awarded to their university department to support the development of future projects by other promising students.
Read about the winning entry, as well as the fifteen international finalists, here.
2009 Finalist
WheelStep. Denmark
Problem:
Research shows that, to wheelchair users, accessibility is the only thing separating them from people with the ability to walk. To climb a step can be an unpleasant experience for a wheelchair user - even if they get help. What if wheelchair users were no longer dependant on other people to get around in their daily life?
Development:
After interviews with wheelchair users, several concepts were sketched, tested and evaluated with small scale models. A long process of testing and developing full scale models on actual wheelchairs formed the basis for the final concept which was tested with other wheelchair users.
Solution:
Retrofitted to existing wheelchairs, WheelStep uses a simple lever system, enabling users to lift the wheelchair up and down by use of own force. With several security measures, if the user needs to open a door or loses their grip, WheelStep locks, preventing accidents.
2009 Finalist - Prio Paper Cast