Reinventing the wheelchair, two budding inventors from the UAE announced as international runner-up

Flying can be difficult for wheelchair users. Seeking to vastly improve the accessibility of aeroplane travel, two engineering students from the American University of Sharjah UAE have the potential to overhaul the flying experience for wheelchair users.

The combination of stairs and narrow seating makes flying a challenging process for wheelchair users. Air Chair proposes a simple solution where users can use one chair for their entire journey, from departure lounge to take-off. This simple, considered design has helped Aamer Siddiqui and Ali Asgar Salim be selected as the runner-up of the James Dyson Award.

The inspiration behind the Air Chair was the desire to provide wheelchair users a more comfortable travel experience. The co-developers of Air Chair said: “Winning the UAE leg of the James Dyson Award was an immense honour in its own right. Being selected runner-up by a technology pioneer like James Dyson is a true vindication of our idea. This achievement has spurred us on to continue developing Air Chair, we’ll feel restless until we see it improving the travel experiences of wheelchair users across the world.”

How does it work?

Like an ordinary wheelchair, the Air Chair can be operated electrically or manually inside the airport terminal. Once in the airplane cabin, the Air Chair’s sleek design allows it to pass through the aisle. Usually too narrow for regular wheelchairs, this innovative wheelchair can slot onto aircraft seats using spherical wheels’ and a C-shaped design. Seeking to maximise flexibility this also ensures that Air Chair can be easily neatly folded, reducing its height by over two thirds.

Selected from thousands of entries, Air Chair was personally selected by Sir James Dyson for its clever invention. In total £7,000 was awarded to the James Dyson Award runner-ups to help kick-start their project, enabling them to further test and analyse their design, with a view to building a working prototype and testing it in the real-world.

Sir James Dyson:

“Design something that solves a problem is an intentionally broad brief. It invites talented, young inventors to do more than just identify real problems. It empowers them to use their ingenuity to develop inventive solutions. Known for its entrepreneurial spirit, the UAE is a natural fit for the James Dyson Award. Entries were unsurprisingly ambitious, but the Air Chair stood out for its clever concept and intuitive design.”