Iranian Researchers Design, Produce Ultra-lightweight Wheelchairs

Masoud Nemati, the managing director of the Iranian knowledge-based company said that he and his fellow researchers in the company have focused their activity on designing and manufacturing medical tools to help the elderly to recover.

“Ultra light-weight wheelchairs are an excellent choice for patients because they can be used very easily. These wheelchairs are made of very light and resistant materials, which is one of prominent features or the Iran-made wheelchairs,” the researcher said.

He said that using ordinary wheelchairs​​ can come with difficulties for people with limited mobility.

According to the researcher, lots of people in Iran are not familiar with comfortable and really helpful wheelchairs, stressing the need for a shift in the people’s knowledge of different wheelchairs.

“For the first time, this knowledge-based company has succeeded in designing such an ultra light-weight and resistant wheelchair, which needs to be introduced to the [domestic] market,” he underscored.

Nemati, who is a Ph.D student in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, stated that ultra light-weight that are made using carbon fiber technology have become highly popular among people in developed countries, adding they are utilized in high-tech industries (advanced technologies), aerospace, automotive and medical field nowadays.

The researcher said that ultra-lightweight wheelchairs are becoming popular with people who want to use them for a long time.

He pointed out that their product is not only very light, but also is silent and can be folded very easily.

He added that their wheelchair has a very strong and swift brake system, a comfortable and adjustable seat, and the possibility of using it in spaces where there are no hurdles.

He added that their wheelchair is highly compatible with human posture, adding, “Some patients are unable to walk due to lumbar spinal cord injury while they can move their hands, therefore, the design of the wheelchair should be in accordance with the physics and person’s posture, because if this is ignored, other organs will fail over time."

According to the researcher, if the wheelchair is not compatible with the disabled's posture, it will hurt them a lot and it will cause side effects such as digestive diseases and pressure ulcer.

He went on to refer to the ultra lightweight of their wheelchair as great superiority that it has over other equivalents, saying, “The wheelchairs designed in this knowledge-based company weigh only 8 kilograms and are very strong despite their light weight.”

Meanwhile, he pointed out that normal wheelchairs available in the market usually weigh more than 30 kilos.

The researcher further noted that they have exported their products to other countries, adding, “As many as 60 Iran-made wheelchairs have been exported to African countries and European countries such as Italy, United Kingdom, Romania and also South America.”

Nemati underscored that the technical know-how of making the ultra light-weight wheelchair belongs 100% to the company's experts, adding that they have obtained patent for the industrial design the product.

“The price of ultra light wheelchairs in the world varies between 6,000 euros and more; but inside the country, it is offered to patients at a very low cost. We would like to ensure the customers that the price of wheelchairs made in Iran is one-third of its equivalents prices in Europe,” he concluded.

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