Adaptive Solutions: Expanding Function for TiLite Wheelchairs

Project Brief

This project will be completed over the course of the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters.

Project Goal

This project seeks to develop a backpack mounting solution for Permobil TiLite wheelchairs.

Project Abstract

Many wheelchair users rely on a backpack for the storage of personal goods or medical pumps. Common solutions involve resting the straps on the handles or placing the backpack on their legs. Neither of these solutions is secure or permanent. In addition, tubes from medical devices may become entangled in the wheels. While advances in wheelchair design have improved mobility, there exists a gap for products that can help them carry their everyday equipment. There is a lack of products that can securely mount a standard backpack to this model of wheelchair. By designing a low-cost and easy-to-install product, I seek to reduce barriers for people with disabilities. After speaking with individuals familiar with this issue, current solutions caused them frustration and inconvenience. By utilizing these existing connections, I will conduct user research, as well as test prototypes in a real-life setting.

Personal Statement

I spent a decent amount of my childhood taking things apart and even more time trying to put them back together (sometimes successfully). Ever since I was a child, I have always been fascinated by the inner workings of objects and their design. I look back fondly on reading informational books, making model airplanes, building Lego sets, and helping my father with projects around the house. All of these experiences fostered a deep curiosity in me about how I could contribute to the world. This ultimately led me to pursue a career where I can build things for a living. I have always enjoyed the deeply rewarding feeling that comes from physically holding the tangible results of my own hard work.

As I progress further into my coursework, I have become even more excited about becoming an industrial designer. The work I have done over the years has given me a sense of pride and accomplishment that I would likely not find in another major. One of the most important lessons I have learned as a designer is to embrace and learn from my mistakes. In one instance, I was tasked with designing an ergonomic grip for an X-ACTO knife. I had created my grip, painted it, and left it to dry in the paint booth. When I went to pick it up the next day, it was covered in dust from other students sanding their projects. As I scrambled to fix it, I realized the dust added a great texture to the grip, actually improving my design. Throughout my time as a design student, I have learned to value the setbacks that come with designing products and how they can make me a better designer.

My interest in this project started back in high school when our dog was the mother to service dog puppies for Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs to people with physical impairments. This firsthand experience raising puppies inspired me to want to create products that could help people whose needs differ from mine. Seeing how service dogs can drastically change someone’s life for the better has led me to want to contribute my skills and expertise to the community. This grant would be greatly appreciated in helping fund my research and prototyping of a product for people who use wheelchairs. My goal for this project is to design a product that safely and securely mounts a backpack to a wheelchair. I hope to produce and distribute as many kits as realistically possible so more people can use my product, free of charge. I kindly ask for support from the Marcus Undergraduate Research Fellowship to make this possible.

Project Narrative

Wheelchair users often face problems with carrying their backpacks. These backpacks hold their personal goods, as well as medical equipment like pumps and feeding bags. The absence of affordable and simple mounting solutions leads users to carry it on their lap or hang it on the handles of their wheelchair. Tubes and straps can become tangled in the wheels, creating a safety hazard. My goal is to design a solution for mounting backpacks to TiLite brand wheelchairs that is simple, affordable, and easy to install.

TiLite wheelchairs are manufactured by Permobil. This type of wheelchair is often used by individuals who are able to push the wheels themselves. These wheelchairs are around 3 feet tall, weighing 10-15 pounds. Users of the TiLite wheelchairs prefer them due to their light weight, large number of customizable options, and sturdy design. Many of the options for carrying their personal goods are expensive, insufficient, or fail to meet the needs of users who prefer to use a standard backpack. As feeding bags empty, the changing weight distribution can make the wheelchair less stable. There are many different models of TiLite wheelchairs, some having handles, round backrests, or different seat angles.

This project seeks to create a product that enhances the autonomy and convenience of people in wheelchairs and the people who assist them. Resorting to expensive, unadaptable, and unsafe solutions is not ideal for long-term functionality and user dignity. Many products made for people in wheelchairs fail to consider their needs by not including them throughout the design process. My goal with this product is to put the people who use these products and their needs at the forefront of my design research and prototyping. Many assistive products fall short of this requirement, prioritizing mass production over adaptability. I am not a wheelchair user myself, but I have seen how important proper design is for accessibility.

I was first introduced to this topic through Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs, often free of charge, to people with disabilities. My family’s dog was a mother to multiple litters of puppies, and I helped to care for them in their early months. Seeing the transformative effects that a well-trained service dog can have on someone's life inspired me to see how design can change lives. In this context, a dog trainer is similar to a product designer. By designing a quality training regimen, service dogs become a tool to be shaped by the needs of its user.  This sparked my interest in how I can design tangible products to create that same transformation. Through my connections with Canine Companions, I’ve been able to reach individuals who frequently feel unseen by product designers and are frustrated by the limited availability of equipment that fits their specific needs. I have already connected with a member of the organization who provided me with information about this problem and has agreed to work with me further.

My approach to research for this project is to conduct interviews with a wide range of individuals to get a better understanding of their needs. I plan to consider the slight variations in TiLite wheelchairs and how my product can help meet those needs. I will attempt to obtain a TiLite model wheelchair or contact the manufacturer to obtain precise measurements. After this, I intend to begin sketching and creating low-fidelity prototypes to get a better understanding of form and function. After creating prototypes, my next steps are to send them out to various people for field testing and incorporate their feedback into the design. After I have found the design satisfactory, I will begin producing kits to be sent out to my contacts for more rigorous testing. After the testing phase has concluded and satisfies my requirements, I will begin the process of creating the final kit to be sent out. By prioritizing user input and adaptable design, this project aims to create a solution that will make the lives of wheelchair users easier.

Timeline