Wizzybug - the design story
A prototype buggy with working running gear and wooden body.
When we decided it was time to build a new model, we sent out a postal survey to buggy customers to find out their views including how they felt the buggy could be improved. The responses covered topics such as the seating position, moving and handling issues, switches, general operation and accessories.
“My First Wheels” became our project to design and develop a new powered mobility vehicle for the under fives.
In partnership with the charity Whizz-kidz we sent out a questionnaire to Occupational Therapists to find out their views on the requirements for a powered vehicle for pre-school mobility. We asked about the style of vehicle, the therapeutic goals of using powered mobility, how training chairs are provided, we asked whose responsibility it should be to supply training chairs, what are the requirements for seating, types of switches, how do children transfer, what design features are important, options for batteries, other ideas, features and how therapists have used or would use a training vehicle.
Click here to download a poster illustrating this work.
By establishing a postal focus group of therapists and a small advisory group of specialists in pre school powered mobility, we developed the shape, style and features of the new vehicle.
We consulted using drawings and models to find out responses to our concepts.
Click here to download a poster illustrating this work.
Alongside the development of a first concept model, BIME tested out features and Close consultation with our advisory group continued to help us design a series of development prototypes.
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An exciting time for us was developing the tooling to make moulds for our new body shape.
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In 2006 we were able to go ahead and manufacture a small pre-production batch of our new vehicle.These Wizzybugs were evaluated by families and therapists in 2007. Since then BIME has been producing Wizzybugs on a "not for profit" basis.
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