Press Release
Cr1 Wheelchair by Doug Garven Wins the Golden A' Design Award in Product Engineering and Technical Design
Doug Garven of Permobil acknowledged for product engineering and technical design by the international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 21, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Golden A' Design Award in the Product Engineering and Technical Design category for Cr1 Wheelchair by Doug Garven of Permobil. The result belongs to the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Golden A' Design Award Means
The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
More About Cr1 Wheelchair
The CR1 is a carbon fiber wheelchair that is fully customizable to the user's individual specifications and preferences. The unique, dual-angle front end was designed to follow the lines of the user's body, allowing them to get closer to objects for improved accessibility and maneuverability in tight spaces. The aerodynamic tube profile and its orientation were designed to improve strength, user comfort in areas contacting the body and aesthetically to promote a sense of speed. The dual-purpose sideguards provide protection to the user while acting as a structural member for support.
About Doug Garven
Doug Garven is a product designer with over thirty years of experience in the Durable Medical Equipment industry, both using and designing manual wheelchairs. An Industrial Design graduate from Kent State University, an automotive accident left him a T6 paraplegic. As an avid motorsports and yacht racing enthusiast, Garven uses his passions to inspire his four-wheeled creations and is always looking to push the boundaries of convention and think of new ways to solve and improve the mobility for those in need.
About Permobil
Permobil founder Dr. Per Uddén believed that helping individuals achieve the greatest level of independence is a basic human right and, for over 50 years, that has been the driving force behind our innovative assistive technology. We are passionate about
Award Record
Doug Garven of Permobil is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Product Engineering and Technical Design Award
The A' Engineering Design Award is an international competition recognizing outstanding engineering projects by top engineers and consulting firms worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to product engineers, technical designers, industrial designers and industrial design studios from all countries. Typical entries include blueprints, prototypes, schematics, CAD models, technical drawings and machine designs. The awarded engineering designs are published at https://desingers.org/design-category/engineering
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://desingers.org/156779
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/156779
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!156779
- Laureate Profile: https://desingers.org/d/351274
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://hub.permobil.com/cr1
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Cr1 Wheelchair
- Function
- Wheelchair
- Category
- Product Engineering and Technical Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Black, Silver, Lavender and Dim Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Doug Garven
- Country
- United States of America
- Brand
- Permobil
- Recognition
- Golden A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2023 - 2024
- Design ID
- #156779
Credits
- Team
- Jace Westcott
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The CR1 is a custom fabricated carbon fiber wheelchair. Each one is unique and built around the user's individual body specifications and their desired preferences. Carbon fiber was selected not only for its performance benefits of strength and light weight, but also for the freedom to optimize the tube shape. The ovalized tubing is orientated at different angles along the frame to maximize strength and comfort for the user. The unique front-end design allows improved environmental access by allowing the user to get closer to objects.
- Inspiration
- The CR1 was inspired by over 30 years as a product designer in the medical industry and as a chair user personally. I was given the task of creating the ultimate, daily-use chair and in doing so drew upon previous designs and what I would have liked to have done but wasn't able to either from a materials perspective or project parameters. The form is functionally driven but inspired by Formula 1 race cars and elements of the F-22 Raptor.
- Research
- The background research for this project was inherent in over 30 years of being a professional wheelchair designer and user. This product was intended for advanced users who know how they want to sit and how they want their chair to feel and respond. The needs and requirements for this product are something that I live and experience every day. We also presented early prototypes to other users and industry experts for their opinions and feedback.
- Challenge
- The key challenges were improving accessibility and maneuverability while reducing the overall weight in a fully customizable product. We partnered with outside vendors to develop special components, like an entirely new style of caster fork bearing. Its creation allowed for smaller parts, lighter weight and a smaller footprint to the chair's design and overall proportions for improved maneuverability. Another key component was the ability to customize the frame designs in as economical and manufacturable method as possible that also minimized waste. The final realization of that was the modular, 3-section design to the sideframe.
- Realization and Technology
- Production is through a vendor that specializes in the creation of carbon fiber products and their use of a proprietary foam core fabrication process that adds additional strength and helps to absorb vibrations. Their team was able to optimize the specific material layups and the fabrication methodology. Every frame consists of two mirrored sideframes that each have 3 bonded together sections of different angles and lengths, joined with a bonded crossbar. These modular components combine with others to make each chair unique and match the user's specifications.
- Operation and Interaction
- The CR1 is operated like any other manual wheelchair through the propulsion of the two drive wheels. What is improved over other devices in the market is how lightweight it is, the complete chair is only 6.8 kg and the increased maneuverability and accessibility through the kinked front-end design. The customized frame dimensions ensure a secure and comfortable fit for the user, much like a wheeled prosthetic.
- Project Duration and Location
- This project started in Nashville, TN in early 2018 and was officially completed and for sale on the market in October of 2023.
- Specifications
- Each chair is unique and based upon the information supplied by the user's order form which is 5 pages long and covers 9 specific measurements based upon the individual body proportions and chair set-up preferences. There are also numerous component and accessory options available to make each chair unique. The chair length dimensions are 330-483 mm, x 330-457 mm width, x 381-533 mm height.
- Keywords
- everyday performance, ultralight, custom, made-to-order
