A Burnaby-based research and design team won gold in an international competition this month with a gnarly wheelchair that overcame an obstacle other teams didn’t even attempt.

MAKE+ is a group of multidisciplinary researchers at BCIT focused on product and process development, evaluation, applied research projects and education.

On October 26 and 27, team members were in Zurich, Switzerland, to compete in Cybathlon 2024, an international competition where people with disabilities compete to complete everyday tasks using assistive technology systems cutting edge.

“We were quite proud of it”

Team BCIT dominated the wheelchair discipline with The BEAST (BCIT Extending Articulated Wheelchair for Serious Terrain).

The three-wheeled chair, piloted by MAKE+ Director Dr. Jaimie Borisoff, completed all 10 tasks in a record time of six minutes and 17 seconds, achieving a perfect score of 100 in the final round.

The tasks tested the chair’s maneuverability in tight spaces and its ability to move users through doorways with buttons and handles.

For one task, Borisoff was able to demonstrate how the BEAST can easily fit its knees under a desk or table, which he called a “non-trivial problem” for wheelchair users.

“I’m currently sitting at my desk in a wheelchair and I have to put my knees under it,” he said in a telephone interview with the Burnaby NOW. “One of the competitors was unable to complete this task because his device was too high.”

The tasks also tested the BEAST’s stability over uneven terrain, an eight-inch door threshold, a steep side slope, and two sets of stairs, including a particularly tricky curved staircase.

“We were pretty proud of it because we were the only ones who tried it, and we accomplished it,” Borisoff said of the curved stairs.

Another “awesome” feature of The BEAST was assessed by the height task, which required contestants to show that their entry could change height by at least 30 centimeters.

“It’s a really nice ability to change size, whether you want to talk to someone at eye level or reach up to a shelf,” Borisoff said.

A team effort

The BCIT team of about five members began work on The BEAST in January, spending about six months on a rough prototype to understand the basics, such as how much torque is needed to climb a staircase and where the driver should be seated relative to the wheels.

As the group started from scratch on what would become The BEAST, Borisoff said the design process involved elements that MAKE+ had been “playing with for a long time.”

Ultimately, the chair turned out to be a relatively simple device, with no robotics or preconfigured settings, according to Borisoff.

He said he had to manipulate the switches, brake levers and throttles for each task.

One thing that really set The BEAST apart during the competition was the unique front Ferris wheel, according to Borisoff.

In fact, the BCIT vehicle was the only three-wheeled device in the competition.

Borisoff said the small wheels or casters on the front of a regular wheelchair “cause a lot of problems” for wheelchair users on more difficult terrain, especially outdoors.

Future projects

Winning the Cybathlon competition has sparked interest in the work MAKE+ is doing, and that’s a good thing, according to Borisoff.

“We have an eye on us as an institution, on how we innovate, on what we can do, as well as on the problem of different disabilities, obstacles and challenges in society and how the technology can help,” he said.

As for the future of The BEAST, Borisoff said the team already has plans and partial funding to compete in the next Cybathlon in four years.

The goal is not necessarily to develop The BEAST as a product in itself, he said, but to spark the development of related modular products that will improve the mobility of everyday wheelchair users.

“We believe the best mobility options and technologies will be modular,” Borisoff said. “It’s a lot easier to buy just one accessory than a $40,000 or $50,000 wheelchair that does everything.”

Watch The BEAST’s winning run below:

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