Ivan Nevzorov, a Novosibirsk State Technical University NETI graduate, made the world's first all-wheel-drive stair climbing wheelchair. The device allows the disabled people not only to go down and up the stairs on their own, but also to drive off-road, including the soils with low load-bearing capacity, such as mud, sand or silt.
Tests of the CaterwilGTS 4WD wheelchair were held in mid-April on the shore of Yugozapadnoye lake. The wheelchair coped with water-filled ruts and deep sand. The wheelchair is equipped with all-wheel drive, as well as mud rubber with deep ground hooks. Due to its light weight and low ground pressure, the wheelchair's cross-country capability is comparable to that of a well-equipped SUV. In addition, the wheelchair significantly exceeds any car in maneuverability since it can turn around on the spot, like a tracked all-terrain vehicle, which gives it an advantage over off-road vehicles.
"In the winter 2019, we tested a wheelchair on a monstrous killer ramp at one of Novosibirsk pharmacies (video: https://dropmefiles.com/sqrOQ), its angle was more than 24 degrees. The wheelchair was able to overcome it with difficulty, only thanks to the skill of our pilot Yuri Larin, a professional cybathlon athlete who has repeatedly won international wheelchair races. We guessed that Russia needs a wheelchair that could overcome obstacles like that. Then we thought that there might happen fishermen, mushroom pickers and just lovers of walking in the woods among the disabled people. Now they can not pursue their hobby when they want to, they have to turn to assistants. But our wheelchair will give them the opportunity to go to the river or to the forest whenever they want. Although it is sometimes easier to drive along the river bank than along some streets of Russian cities, so the wheelchair is useful not only for fishermen", Ivan Nevzorov explained the idea of the product.
A video of the wheelchair test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCB5FhttyOI.
In May 2018, Ivan Nevzorov tested the world's first all-terrain wheelchair controlled by the power of thought. This type of wheelchair is necessary for the disabled people who are completely immobilized and can not control a usual wheelchair with their hands (video of the wheelchair tests: https://youtu.be/FE2Nw3t4ivE). In November 2018, Anatoly Lokot, the mayor of Novosibirsk, instructed his subordinates to find a suitable manufacturing site for the growing Caterwil company.
In 2012, Ivan Nevzorov graduated from the Department of Mechanics and Technology of NSTU. In 2014, with his wife Galina, he founded a company to develop and manufacture innovative vehicles for wheelchair users. “The idea of the project came to me when I was a student but then it was necessary to finish the academic work on the tribological machine ТТМ–001 (a device to check the durability of materials). Now I can say that the knowledge I gained at the university helped me to make my incredible ideas become reality,” says Ivan Nevzorov.