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First of its kind power mobility chair will take disabled adventurer to top of Snowdon ‘unaided’

A first-of-its-kind power mobility chair, designed to attempt a solo ascent of Mount Snowdon in 2024, has been unveiled by engineering firm, Rock Engineering and disabled adventurer and war veteran Nick Wilson.

The chair, dubbed ‘RockClimber’, was launched at Rock Engineering HQ in Towcester, Northants, at an event attended by Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, Morcea Walker MBE, deputy leader of West Northants Council, Cllr Adam Brown, Armed Forces Covenant champion at WNC, Cllr David Smith and representatives from; Disability Forum, VR Therapies, Sollus Healthcare and Northamptonshire Sports.

Through the challenge of conquering Snowdon unaided, wheelchair user Nick wants to show in the most extreme way, the everyday challenges that wheelchair users face. The project aims to demonstrate how inclusive engineering and technology can be used to improve accessibility in urban and rural environments, enabling people reliant on wheelchairs to have greater independence without the risk of falling or getting stuck.

Nick said: “Since becoming semi reliant on my powerchair, I’ve experienced first-hand how bad accessibility can be and whilst momentum is building through the inspirational work of disability influencers and organisations, such as Purple Tuesday who I’m an ambassador of, there’s still a long way to go. Therefore, if we can show how engineering and technology can help us adapt to our environment, opposed to adapting our environment to meet our needs, we can make a difference to people’s lives. It’s certainly improved mine!”

Rock Engineering Director, Elliot Dason-Barber, said they needed to take a different approach when designing the custom power mobility chair: “Off-road wheelchairs already exist, but we needed to design a Mountaineer, not a Trail Runner. As a result, we started by defining the physics of climbing steep rocky slopes and this enabled us to produce a realistic specification of the chair. Each system was then designed from a clean sheet, without the limitations of off-the-shelf equipment. In the final design RockClimber incorporates several unique engineering solutions that will hopefully propel Nick to the top of Snowdon. In the future the same technology could be adapted for use in everyday chairs to help address the fundamental challenge, which is to improve accessibility for all.”

Professional engineering body, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), is championing the project. Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr Laura Norton, added: “Our goal is to engineer a better, more inclusive world for everyone and RockClimber is a great example of why inclusive thinking should be at the centre of any design and engineering project. I hope this goes as far as to challenge current wheelchair regulations and manufacture so that in future there will be a single-chair solution that will make a fundamental impact to navigating a range of terrains and break down barriers for many more wheelchair users.”

The next stages will see Rock Engineering and Nick start to test the capabilities of RockClimber in early 2024, before tackling Mt Snowdon in May. To follow the project’s progress visit: Disabled Adventurer | Public Speaker

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About Rock Engineering

Rock Engineering Limited is an Advanced Engineering company specializing in the Mobility, Automotive and Motorsports sectors. Our highly experienced team can cover all elements of the Engineering life cycle including Concept Definition, Virtual Optimisation, Component Design, Component Manufacture, Vehicle build, and Vehicle Test. The team is based in its dedicated design and workshop facility in the heart of Motorsport Valley, just 4 miles from Silverstone.

For more information visit: Rock Engineering - Precision Engineering

About Nick

Nick Wilson is an Adventurer and Speaker, aka Disabled Adventurer, Ambassador for Purple Tuesday, and Disability Expo and advocates for survivors of suicide and disability. He openly, and very frankly, shares his lived experiences with mental illness, physical disability and surviving a suicide attempt to; inform society, encourage change and inspire and empower others, with authenticity and a message of hope.

He is also an Army Veteran with an impactful story to tell. After 14 years of service, Nick left the military, with a spinal injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD, as a result of multiple deployments across the globe such as, Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Through his battle with both physical and mental disabilities, surviving attempted suicide and managing suicidal ideation, Nick continually demonstrates resilience and the ability to overcome adversity.

About the IET

  • We inspire, inform and influence the global engineering community to engineer a better world.
  • We are a diverse home for engineering and technology intelligence throughout the world. This breadth and depth means we are uniquely placed to help the sector progress society.
  • We want to build the profile of engineering and technology to change outdated perceptions and tackle the skills gap. This includes encouraging more women to become engineers and growing the number of engineering apprentices.
  • Interview opportunities are available with our spokespeople from a range of engineering and technology disciplines including cyber-security, energy, engineering skills, innovation, manufacturing, technology, transport and diversity in engineering.
  • For more information, visit theiet.org
  • Follow the IET on Twitter.

IET Media enquiries

Rebecca Gillick
External Communications Manager
Email: rgillick@theiet.org

Sophie Lockyer
Senior Communications Executive
Email: slockyer@theiet.org