Get to Bed Easier with the ezSlide Concept Wheelchair

Transferring from a wheelchair can be a task which at times can be a chore, even for those who have good upper body strength. Especially if transferring onto a surface that is higher than the wheelchair seat. Most beds have an average height of about 26in high while standard wheelchairs seats average 19in-21in high. So transferring onto a bed could mean going up half a foot. There are some assistive devices to help such as bed rails, poles, trapeze bars, and lifts. Industrial designer and entrepreneur Sungjoon Kim devised another solution with his ezSlide concept wheelchair. His wheelchair lifts and tilts to allow for a simpler transfer onto a bed.

Here’s how the ezSlide make getting to bed easier. First the user backs the wheelchair up to the bed and locks the brakes. The user then presses release switches underneath the armrests to tilt the back towards the bed. Two levers are then used to crank the seat up. The cranking motion is done with a double-track structure and oil pressure cylinders that assist the lifting motion. Once the desired height is achieved, the user scoots onto the bed and swings their legs over.

After a good nights sleep, the user then scoots back onto the ezSlider wheelchair. The crank levers are pushed forward which lowers the seat back to its original position. Then the back is brought back up and locked into position.

ezSlider is intended for wheelchair users that have good use of their arms. A novel concept idea that solves a problem while increasing independence. Probably won’t be seeing it in the stores anytime soon but a wheelchair with a rising seat could be incorporated into other wheelchair designs. Kim made a working prototype of the ezSlide which you can see in action in the video below.

ezSlide from Sungjoon Kim on Vimeo.