Scewo – A Wheelchair That Climbs Stairs

Rock The Wheel Threads
February 26, 2020
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Scewo – A Wheelchair That Climbs Stairs

Scewo is a self-balancing wheelchair that can go up and down stairs independently and smoothly.  This innovation offers its users a dynamic experience for navigating over obstacles, with multiple rubber tracks providing a smooth and safe ride on the stairs.  With recent innovations in smartphone, automobile, drone, and even robotic vacuum cleaner  technology, scewo was surprised to find the same electric wheelchairs from years ago on today’s market.

The project was founded by four university students from ETH zurich + ZHDK, who managed to create and fund ‘scewo’ independently while building a wheelchair fit for the 21st century, with new technology and aesthetics.

The ‘scewo’ wheelchair’s sturdy rubber tracks provide a safe and comfortable transition up or down stairs, while an extra-wide base stabilizes the chair, even on spiral stair cases.  Transfers onto the stairs and back to the floor are automated.  The self-balancing chair also provides agile maneuvering and dynamic driving over common obstacles like curbs, while the user can either use the joystick or a shift in body weight to control the chair.

The scewo electric wheelchair features three different driving modes depending on the terrain: ‘safe’ mode is used for getting on and off, getting to a table, or standing still; ‘elevated’ mode enables eye-to-eye communication and reaching high-lying objects; ‘track’ mode overcomes slippery surfaces like snow or gravel, trickier obstacles or steep inclines with increased traction.

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