Wheelchair user invents gadget to make his wheelchair all-terrain

Huy contracted polio when he was a baby and because of that, he became a wheelchair user. For him, family activities at the beach were always a sad time.

"Ever since I was a kid, family activities on the beach have always brought not a great feeling because you didn't want to trouble people to carry you. A lot of wheelchair users don't consider the beach an accessible place for them, they have almost written that environment off”, he explained.

Because of that, he teamed up with industrial designer Ryan Tilley to create Gecko Traxx, a polyurethane over-tyre that allows manual wheelchair users to access the beach and other off-road terrains such as grass and snow.

“The Gecko Traxx tyre has an innovative tyre cross-section that allows it to be compact, yet work across a large range of terrains. The profile was inspired by a Gecko foot and expands when in contact with the ground, increasing surface area and stopping the tyre sinking into soft surfaces. The tyre returns to its thin profile at the top and sides of the wheelchair wheel and does not impede the push-rim or the frame of the wheelchair”, says on the official website.

This gadget can be put in a backpack and the user can attach it to the wheelchair by himself.

"Not needing to transfer to another wheelchair where assistance is needed is great. It is quite empowering to do it yourself," the inventor said.

The team created their own company around this device.

Gecko Traxx can be bought online from $539.00.

Adapted from: https://bit.ly/2jQGv0L

More info: https://www.geckotraxx.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGMR5FSvuqs