What problem does it solve?
Traditional step-in bathrooms or bathtubs present a risky situation for aging seniors or people with mobility issues as they have great difficulties lifting up their leg to step into or out of the bathroom or bathtub.
Choosing bath-tubs for handicaps present many issues such as accessibility, how easy will it be to get into and out, and what kind of safety features and design are there?
Although there are various bathing facilities that are being developed to address the difficulties particularly those users that are confined to wheelchairs etc, such facilities which include walk-in bathtubs, wheel-in showers and walk-in showers are not widely-employed for home use due to the relatively expensive costs for installation, and the requirement of a substantially large space to install the doors, lifts, and tracks of the bathtubs etc. Furthermore, these are not usable by everyone in the household except the disabled users and as such they may not be suitable for use as typical bathrooms of most private homes.
The Solution
PlaxiBATH are mobile bathtubs designed with many built in facilities specifically for the convenience and safety of handicaps and elderly. This invention aids independent living & allows the user to take care of their personal needs without outside assistance. It is designed as a collapsible moveable bathtub that is transferable from one location to another, without the need to be permanently installed in a standard bathroom, which generally is stymied by limited space. The front panel of the bathing apparatus is configured with a drawbridge to step into the upper body arranged with rough surface. Instead of having to step over a threshold or a tub wall the user just walk straight into the bathtub through the draw-bridge and use his hands to switch on/off a switch which is dangled just above his head to enable a motor to pull up the door so that water can be filled up to the level he wanted.
Additional Facilities
PlaxiBATH also comes with water-recycling facilities which enable even those who faced water shortage situation to continue taking long leisure bath. It also has panic handle for emergency purposes, microphone and speakers built with WIFI which enable the user to talk to anyone even while bathing plus having warm air being blown from bath seat while water is being filled.
Manufacturability
The first PlaxiBATH prototype has successfully been produced and currently under vigorous testing in a disable people centre http://www.shuangfu.org/ . The selling price of each PlaxiBATH is forecasted to be 25% cheaper than a traditional walk-in bathtub
Market Size
The Gallup organization in 1983 surveyed 1,500 non-institutionalized people over the age of 55. "Using shower or tub" was one of the sixteen problem areas identified for maintaining activities of daily living and that about 10 percent of all people over the age of 65 have difficulty bathing, and about 6 percent receive help (Lawton, 1990). With the world population aging rapidly, the market for PlaxiBATH will always be there.
Video
Voting
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ABOUT THE ENTRANT
- Name:Stefan Chew
- Type of entry:teamTeam members:Stefan Chew, Hamdan Zali, Tan Siew Shen
- Profession:
- Number of times previously entering contest:2
- Stefan's hobbies and activities:Skiing, Designing, Reading, swimming
- Stefan belongs to these online communities:Facebook, Linkedin
- Stefan is inspired by:Safety is obviously a primary concern for the elderly and the handicapped where mobility capability and ease of bathing should not be overlooked. Once a person becomes disabled, using a bathroom can become an ordeal; especially if assistance from a nurse or family member is required. A proper handicap and elderly bathroom design allows a disabled or elderly individual to bathe without the assistance of another person
Though the above issues are affecting million of people around the world especially with an aging population ballooning annually, it is however surprising that there are not many new innovations available to assist these poor souls. As such me and my team decided to research into creating a walk-in bathtub that is safe and easy to be used for use for this group of people. - Patent status:pending