'Walking' wheelchair could improve mobility for the disabled

A student inspired by moving sculptures has designed a prototype 'walking chair' that he hopes could go on to give people with mobility problems greater freedom.

Product design student Martin Harris and his 'walking chair'.

Martin Harris, 21 - who is about to complete his BA (Hons) product design degree at the University of Derby developed his battery-powered chair, which uses metal legs instead of wheels, after seeing the 'walking sculptures' of Dutch artist and engineer Theo Jansen.

Harris's walking chair will be on display at the University's Markeaton Street site in Derby as part of its annual Degree Shows programme till 11 June.

Hundreds of students' work in crafts, fashion, textiles, fine art, film, design, theatre, visual communications, architecture, music technology, creative expressive therapies and art therapy will be on display for the public to come and see for free at the University's Markeaton Street and Britannia Mill sites in Derby, and elsewhere.

Harris, originally from Birmingham, said, "I first saw Theo Jansen's work many years ago, he calls the walking sculptures Strandbeests. The walking mechanism had so much potential and I wanted to put it to a practical purpose.

"My final year project was to integrate the mechanism into a mobility chair. My uncle works on powered wheelchairs and my dad's a mechanic, so they were able to give me some tips, and my brother assisted me in building and testing the prototype."