BEST PRACTICE CASE STUDY
BEYOND THE CURVE
About INDEX
INDEX (Innovation Delivers Expansion) is a unique demand-led innovation voucher scheme led that invites Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to apply for a voucher to purchase academic support from one of the 13 Higher Education Institutions in the West Midlands. The project is funded by Advantage West Midlands (AWM), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Innovation Vouchers allow SMEs to purchase academic expertise knowledge to develop their innovation and enhance their business.
The Innovation Voucher scheme aims to build links between Universities and SMEs to create a demand led approach to innovation.
ABOUT THE BUSINESS: Beyond The Curve Limited
Beyond The Curve Ltd
125 Newlands St
Stoke-On-Trent
ST4 2RG
Telephone: 01782 846732
Email: rob@beyondthecurve.co.uk
Managing Director: Dr R Wolfe
INNOVATION
Innovation: Innovation (3) Health Technology and Healthcare
THE BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Beyond The Curve Limited provide New Product Development, Engineering Design & Prototyping of industrial, domestic and rehabilitation products.
The company have developed a concept and produced a working prototype of a seat that can be used by outrigger canoeists, including crew with disabilities such as spinal injury, cerebral palsy and lower limb amputation. This enables people with a disability to take part in the sport.
The concept was re-designed to simplify its operation and manufacturability, and required assistance to test the performance of the CAD model against that of the physical product. The main requirements of testing were
- Kinematic analysis of seat and user interaction
- Full user body analysis
- Live Video Analysis
- Seat pressure distribution of back – support and seat pan
- Dynamic analysis of load and seat frame displacement
- The above results underpin the final development and production of a commercially viable seat.
WORK UNDERTAKEN
Collected Kinematic data and provided basic analysis on:
Biomechanics of user in a modified seat,
Seat user interaction
Seat/user interface pressure analysis
Provide the actual kinematic data in an ASCII format and a verbal report on the analysis
QUOTE
The equipment required for the kinematic analysis of a working prototype is both expensive and difficult to obtain, unless you have access to an industrial or academic research and development organisation.
The funding delivered via the INDEX voucher scheme has enabled collaboration with Staffordshire University for the testing and comparison of a CAD based product concept with the actual physical prototype.
Without the INDEX scheme this would not have been possible and the project would have been delayed whilst other funding streams were being sought. The resulting tests have highlighted where design changes are required which will effectively reduce the time it will take to bring the product to a market ready stage.
Based on this experience I would be happy to develop future ties with Universities that could supply the relevant facilities"! Rob Wolfe, Director, Beyond the Curve Ltd
ABOUT THE HEI: Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University,
College Road,
Stoke on Trent,
Staffordshire
ST4 2DE
ABOUT THE ACADEMIC
Work undertaken and co-ordinated by Dr N Chockalingam
Faculty of Health, Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke on Trent, ST4 2DF
Nachi completed his Instrumentation Engineering degree at Annamalai University, India and his graduate qualification in Biomedical Engineering Science at University of Dundee. His doctoral thesis was in the area of Gait and Posture analysis of scoliotic subjects. After his short training with Medical Physics department at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee he joined Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai (Madras) as a Research Fellow where he established a gait analysis facility. He continued at CLRI as a Scientist in Footwear Biomechanics before joining Staffordshire University. As a Reader in Biomechanics at the Faculty of Health, Nachi directs the Movement Analysis Laboratory. He also holds an Honorary consultant position at the Hartshill Orthopaedic Unit at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.
His research interests span through the general area of biomechanics and gait analysis with a special interest in foot and footwear biomechanics. His work also involves Gait and Posture Analysis of scoliotic subjects with a view to understand the aetiology and mechanics of scoliosis progression. Nachi is a Chartered Engineer and a Chartered Scientist. He is one of the research editors for Scoliosis, a journal dedicated to the advancements in science and clinical practice related to scoliosis and he serves on the international advisory board for the journal The Foot. He is a member of various professional organisations and has been elected as the secretary- general for the Footwear Biomechanics Group, a technical group of the International Society of Biomechanics. He reviews research grant proposals for government and charitable organisations and research/ scientific manuscripts for various professional journals in the field of biomechanics. He collaborates with University of Liverpool, University of Gent, University of Malta, VIT University (India), University of Dundee, Birmingham City University, and Manchester Metropolitan University on various research projects.