Abstract
Rock Engineering is the team behind first-of-its-kind power mobility chair RockClimber™ that enabled disabled adventurer, Nick Wilson, to complete an ‘unaided’ solo attempt of Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon).
Following the Llanberis route and reaching the Clogwyn pass without any assistance, Nick successfully overcame the most challenging of obstacles to reach the highest point of Snowdon ever gained by a wheelchair user without physical support.
His climb aims to raise greater awareness and action towards current accessibility and independence challenges faced by wheelchair users every day, importantly showing how inclusive design and engineering can help to make the world more accessible for everyone, everywhere and positively impact lives.
During the final ascent, he encountered problems with the steering and increasing chronic pain, so for safety reasons, made the decision not to push on to the summit, on this attempt.
Nick left the Army after 14 years of service, with a spinal injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following multiple deployments across the world which left him reliant on using a powerchair. After documenting his accessibility challenges and his passion for outdoor adventure, Nick was approached by engineering company Rock Engineering Ltd and lead engineers Elliot Dason-Barber and Andrew Miller, who offered to build him a first-of-its-kind power chair to help give him back his freedom – and allow him to achieve his goal, to summit Yr Wyddfa unassisted.
RockClimber™ is based off extensive motorsport design experience to create a new chair concept. It includes 4x electric motors enabling 15Hp of power; bonded aluminium construction for maximum strength and minimum weight (210kg); 4-wheel drive with variable wheelbase to help with climbing and a range of 100 miles on flat terrain.
The project, championed by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), demonstrates how inclusive design and engineering can be used to improve accessibility in urban and rural environments, enabling people reliant on wheelchairs to have greater independence and freedom without the risk of falling or getting stuck. With more than 650,000 registered wheelchair users in the UK (NHS National Wheelchair Data Collection), there are still barriers in everyday life where wheelchairs are not equipped to tackle different environments, even on the high street.
