Academy students developed handrail solution ideas for a wheelchair lift

The project was commissioned by Esteetön Suomi Oy, a company that develops wheelchair lifts intended for outdoor use. A key feature of the lift is its unobtrusiveness: the structure blends into the building's facade and retracts completely underground when not in use.

The basic structure of the lift is based on a hydraulically powered scissor lift. However, the lift lacked a functional hiding railing solution. The challenge was to design railings that meet strict safety and standard requirements.

Project objectives

The project began with a situation where the lift’s mechanical components were already in place, but new ideas were needed for the handrails. The goal of the project was to provide the client with several alternative handrail concepts to support further development.

The main goals of the project were:

• To create 3D models of different railing systems for the lift
• To evaluate the practical feasibility of the solutions
• To identify the strengths and challenges of each concept

The project's scope was limited to conceptual-level solutions rather than fully finalized, production-ready designs.

Technologies and design considerations

The railing concepts were modeled using CAD softwares. These tools were used to simulate the movement of the railings and their integration into the lift structure. One concept was also produced as a 3D-printed scale model to physically examine the functionality of the mechanism.

The design process was strongly guided by the requirements of the SFS-ISO 9386-1 standard, which defines aspects such as railing height, structure, strength, and the management of crushing risks. In addition, the pantograph mechanism of the scissor lift and its spatial constraints were carefully considered.

Project progress: from ideas to models

As the project progressed, the client provided measurements of the lift. This enabled more precise integration of the concepts into the structure. It was decided that each group member would independently develop their own concept to provide the client with a diverse range of concepts.

Final outcome: three alternative railing concepts

As a result of the project, three clearly distinct railing concepts were delivered to the client. The concepts were presented at the last meeting, and they illustrated how the various mechanisms work and identified potential areas for further development.

The RoboAI Academy project successfully developed several handrail concepts for an accessible wheelchair lift. The project’s objectives were achieved, and the client was provided with a clear overview of the various implementation options. At the same time, the students developed their skills in customer-oriented design, the application of standards, and the modeling of mechanical structures.

Special thanks to Esteetön Suomi Oy for providing an excellent project topic!

Read more about INNOSTIN® wheerchair lift here.