An NUS student team, with RVRC Senior Eugene Pang and RVRC Alum Joshua Goh, participated in the 13th International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology's Global Student Innovation Challenge 2019. They designed an eco-friendly ramp to assist wheelchair users in Singapore public housing estates. Their team was awarded the Silver Award in the Technology category. The other team members are also from NUS Mechanical Engineering: Alexander Tan, Kester Chew, and Lim Shu Yong.

The student project began with a Mechanical Engineering module at NUS; ME3103 – Mechanical Systems Design. They worked with HCA Hospice care, who presented the students with an existing problem. The ramps currently available in the market cannot easily be deployed in HDB's narrow corridors. The students designed an innovative interlaced structure for the ramp to allow it to curve, be easily compressed and extended for deployment and storage. It is also completely recyclable as it is fabricated with cardboard, making it a cheap and easily sourced material. Students tested it for a load bearing capacity of upto 300 kg. The simple design and choice of materials allows users to make necessary repairs to the ramp themselves, using recycled cardboard.

Congratulations to the team!