ACE Tennis Wheelchair

Mobility Aid Design / Appropriate Technologies

Often, disabled athletes in developing countries like Guatemala have no access to sports because of the high cost of equipment. A common tennis wheelchair can cost in excess of $2,000.

ACE aims to reduce this entry cost 10-fold to $200, thus giving access to competitive equipment to athletes that before could not cope with costs, or that were forced to use inadequate equipment.

Using common materials, basic workshop tools, bicycle parts and recycled wheelchair components,

this concept prototype was designed and built by Juan Carlos Noguera for Design without Borders Norway, the Transitions Foundation

and Intelligent Mobility International.

This is part of a collective and ongoing design effort to bring appropriate mobility equipment to

those who need it most. ACE is designed to be appropriate to its environment. It utilizes all local

materials, simple tools and processes, and uses adequate ergonomics and anthropometrics for

its target population.

ACE is a fully adjustable lightweight wheelchair, with a retractable / removable rear

anti-tip wheel, and an adjustable suspension system. Its angled / cambered wheels

are placed at 18 degrees of inclination for maximum stability, increased rotation momentum

and to ease access to the pushrims.

Oscar Oliva, a disabled athlete and professional wheelchair tennis player,

tries out the ACE prototype at a local tennis club (Guatemala). He has very

positive feedback for the designer.