A' Design Award and Competition announced the BraunAbility Q-Series wheelchair lift has won the prestigious Golden A' Design Award in the Differently Abled and Seniors' Assistance Design Category.

 BraunAbility introduced the innovative wheelchair lift to the international mobility market earlier this year. The Q-Series engineering team designed the lift specifically for attractive aesthetics, noise improvement, and safety. The new lift combines an eye-catching curved design language with innovative use of geometry, resulting not only in a 10% weight reduction over its predecessor, but also a 300% improvement in rigidity.

A unique “Auto-Tite” system prevents noise while the vehicle is in motion, making the lift between 40% and 400% quieter than benchmark comparisons in testing. Integrated side-plate LED lights, an industry first, illuminate the platform for wheelchair users, and alert nearby pedestrians and drivers that a wheelchair lift is in use.

Working with Purdue University Professor Steve Visser, a multinational project team followed human-centered design processes to create a wheelchair lift that is easy-to-use and looks right at home alongside the premium interiors of modern vehicles. The project began with a kickoff brainstorm where industry experts, wheelchair users, and designers interacted with a variety of lifts to identify important unmet customer needs and prioritize critical design characteristics. Ultimately, representatives from over 30 countries provided feedback on a series of concepts and prototypes before the Q-Series wheelchair lift was ready for the market.

“The entire team is pleased to receive recognition from the A’ Design Award committee,” said Phill Bell, director of product portfolio – lifts at BraunAbility. “From over 35,000 submissions, the Q-Series design placed in the top 3%, which is a powerful recognition of the outstanding work from a very talented design team.”

Members of the BraunAbility Q-Series project team include Steve Visser (product designer), Yingxiao Max Cao (product designer), Rob Bettcher (engineer), Justin Kline (mechanical engineer), Haiyan Henry Zhang (mechanical engineer), Cong Liao (mechanical engineer), Achilleas Bardakas (mechanical engineer), Mark French (sound engineer), Pu Wang (sound engineer), Mike Alexander (marketing), and Phill Bell (product manager).

The lift is initially being released to European-regulation markets through BraunAbility partner Autoadapt and will be introduced to additional international markets later this year. It is not available in Canada and the U.S.