Function

Mantis is the perfect solution to today’s problems in portable dentistry. Not only does it act as a great dental chair, but when collapsed, the product is used as a dolly to carry other bulky and heavy equipment. The materials used to manufacture Mantis are also inexpensive, reducing the cost of the chair as a whole. In addition to functioning as a dolly, Mantis has features that allow the chair to be adjusted to the patients every need. The headrest can be moved up or down nearly any sized patient and the reclining angle can be in nearly any position. Not only is Mantis perfect for portable dentistry, but the multi-functional chair could also be used in several other medical fields.

Inspiration

I was inspired to develop Mantis after noticing several problems in the current market for portable dental chairs. Existing portable dental chairs are known to be expensive, bulky, and not much more useful than the average outdoor lounge chair. The price of most portable dental chairs ranges from approximately $800 to $1550. Because the programs that use this equipment is generally non-profit, it is difficult to find the necessary funds. Another problem in today’s portable dental chairs is the size. Most portable equipment is so large that it must be airlifted into the field, but the easiest and cheapest way to transport supplies is by carrying them as luggage.

Development

The development of Mantis began with research and ended with a functioning prototype. During the research phase, I conducted interviews and studied the market of office dental chairs, portable dental chairs, and generic folding chairs. From this I gained inspiration for folding mechanisms that could be used. The next phase to Mantis' development was ideation through sketches, computer models, and physical models. Once several concepts were sketched and tested with computer and physical models, a final design was chosen and refined in Pro-Engineer. To conclude the project, I created a fully rendered and stylized form as well as a completely functioning prototype. Through the creation of a functioning, full-scale model, I was able to prove the feasibility of Mantis. To build the model, I used a hydraulic tube-bender for the steel tubing and a mill for the aluminum joints. If manufactured, Mantis would be constructed from more light-weight materials.