Tilt Assist Chair — Tommy O'Halleran

Furniture design | student work | 2019

An often looked over problem for people with limited mobility, is the ability to stand up from a chair. Chairs that are made for this purpose, are often cold, sterile, void of warmth and elegance, and are usually only seen in hospital and medical settings.

Using principles of universal design and ergonomics, I designed a chair that anyone, with mobility impairments or not, would be proud to have in their home.

Two tiered handles for getting up

Cross dowel barrel nut connections

Flatpack design

Assembly Book

Technical Drawings

Exploded View

Orthographic view

The final design is a flat pack design that utilizes a tilt motion to help the user stand up out of the chair.

The form was driven by function and the needs of a person with limited mobility. A high seat and straight back help with sitting upright. Skid bars and a kick bar, as opposed to legs, helps with sliding in and out of tables. The two tiered, high armrests act as grab bars to assist a person from standing up. Lastly, solid maple was chosen for its light and warm color, and for its heaviness and sturdiness; which is crucial for a person to lean their weight on.