A new product out of the Netherlands aims to make stairs a thing of the past. The Vertiwalk—essentially a manually-powered elevator—allows people to move between the floors of a building with only ten percent of the effort needed to climb stairs.
A team from the Rombout Frieling Lab in Eindhoven designed the Vertiwalk in response to the growing number of people living in small urban apartments. It also works for anyone who just hates stairs.
Sitting in a chair, the Vertiwalk lets users pull two ropes with their arms and then push with their legs, propelling them up the device. The pulley-based system is very efficient, so it could also be used by the elderly or anyone with somewhat limited mobility.
Although it’s not clear how much the Vertiwalk will cost or when it will be available, the makers of Vertiwalk say it’s a game changer: “This not only provides a solution for the growing number of people who are unable to take stairs, but moreover offers new possibilities for urban architecture.”
Watch the video, here:
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