Nearly two percent of the world’s population is confined to using a wheelchair, totaling nearly 132 million people, according to the Wheelchair Foundation. In the United States alone, more than 30 million people use a wheelchair, according to U.S. Census statistics. Daniel Barel, CEO of SoftWheel, and his team are helping to make the wheelchair a lot more comfortable for users with a new wheel design.
SoftWheel was introduced into the United States just a few years ago. The goal for designers of SoftWheel was to create a product that absorbs shocks and vibrations, while also providing rigidity and stability. The company is working to develop its technology to apply to other industries as well, such as automobiles, bicycles and even airplanes.
“People in wheelchairs have less access to transportation, education and healthcare,’’ Barel said in a video published by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “With this technology, we allow people in wheelchairs to do things nobody ever thought they could do. We are allowing them to go anywhere they want.”
Initially, the company started out by wanting to improve the suspension of a wheelchair. This process took time in figuring out how to improve the design.
“Suspension at its core is very limited. It hasn’t evolved a whole lot in the past 90 years,” said Barel. “No matter what we tried to do in putting suspension inside the wheelchair simply didn’t work.”
After nearly giving up, Barel and his team of engineers and designers looked at the simplicity of a wheelchair for inspiration.
“It’s just wheels and chair. We knew we couldn’t put the suspension in the chair,” said Barel. “There was nowhere else; we said let’s put it in the wheel.”
SoftWheel’s technology revolves around a triangular hub. “All the magic happens inside the hub,’’ said Barel. The hub moves freely within the diameter of the wheel. The wheel stays rigid, but the hub within it moves, which allows the hub to absorb the impact and energy from the road or obstacle. “It provides the wheelchair rider the freedom to go anywhere they want,’’ Barel said.
Initially, the company started out by wanting to improve the suspension of a wheelchair. This process took time in figuring out how to improve the design.
“Suspension at its core is very limited. It hasn’t evolved a whole lot in the past 90 years,” said Barel. “No matter what we tried to do in putting suspension inside the wheelchair simply didn’t work.”
After nearly giving up, Barel and his team of engineers and designers looked at the simplicity of a wheelchair for inspiration.
“It’s just wheels and chair. We knew we couldn’t put the suspension in the chair,” said Barel. “There was nowhere else; we said let’s put it in the wheel.”
SoftWheel’s technology revolves around a triangular hub. “All the magic happens inside the hub,’’ said Barel. The hub moves freely within the diameter of the wheel. The wheel stays rigid, but the hub within it moves, which allows the hub to absorb the impact and energy from the road or obstacle. “It provides the wheelchair rider the freedom to go anywhere they want,’’ Barel said.
Engineers at SoftWheel developed four patented technologies that provide stability. The wheel revolves using three suspension arms, instead of the spokes on a conventional wheel. The suspension arms are connected to the triangular hub and are built to absorb shock from any direction. The suspension technology design deemed one of the most difficult projects for Barel and his team.
“We met many challenges in the development of the suspension technology, such as connecting the suspension to the rim and designing a new hub with unique characteristics.’’ said Yoav Satz, Product Manager for SoftWheel.
SoftWheel’s in-wheel Suspension technology led to another trademarked technology, Adaptive Rigidity, in which the suspension arms remain rigid but automatically compress to absorb the shock.
“It’s a breakthrough in how you look at suspension,’’ said Barel. “It is selective. When you don’t need it, it doesn’t work. Only when needed will it spring into action and make those movements.”
The third technology is its Rapid-Shock Reset, in which the suspension arms become stable within two seconds. A SoftWheel video displays a common wheel returning to a stable position in 10 seconds after a drop of 15 centimeters with 110 pounds of weight.
The final trademarked technology is Single-piece Rigid Rims, which offer stability and speed. The technology is able to adapt, no matter the angle of impact from an obstacle, while the suspension shocks reset. This reset allows the wheels to turn rigid, so the ride remains smooth.
SoftWheels provides on-demand suspension, which reduces the amount of vibrations that are transmitted to the body of a rider. The design enables riders to maintain their forward momentum, which can help reduce fatigue after a long day of riding in a wheelchair.
In putting together the suspension system, SoftWheel designers needed parts that were light, durable and could stand up to dirt and debris that might infiltrate the hub. A key component included bushing from igus, a company based in Germany. SoftWheels include igus’ L280 bushings, which provide wear resistance in harsh environments or when used with rough shafts. The bushing, known as “The Marathon Runner,” has a high service life and is frequently used when low coefficients of dynamic friction are important. The bushings are included in the triangle component that connects to the suspension arms.
“Using slide bearings based on non-metal material has many advantages,’’ Satz said.
The igus bushings have a compressive strength of 8,847 psi, tensile strength of 18,130 at 68 degrees Fahrenheit and help the SoftWheels provide their signature stability.
Allaina Humphreys of Chicago, who was paralyzed in a gymnastics accident in 1994, fought searing back and neck pain for years.
“I was barely moving around my house,’’ said Humphreys. “I was taking medication, but it wasn’t touching the pain. I was desperate. I needed some way to do more with my children.”
Humphreys searched for several years to find a wheelchair that would provide more comfort. Her life changed instantaneously when she started using SoftWheels.
With an intricate design, SoftWheels has changed the wheelchair realm by impacting everyday lives.
