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ThyssenKrupp Access Partners with Georgia Tech University

Georgia Tech Industrial Design graduate students are going beyond classroom theory as they develop real world products for ThyssenKrupp Access, a leading manufacturer of stair lifts, wheelchair lifts, and residential elevators. The project, a collaboration between ThyssenKrupp Access and Georgia Techs Center for Assistive Technology &, Environmental Access (CATEA) calls for students to develop new integrated stair lift systems using universal design principles. Instructor and CATEA Research Scientist, Randy Bernard will lead the team of graduate students. My students are the researchers and developers in the project, said Bernard. They are developing concepts that are useful as people-movers. The new products will have the added benefit of being able to move objects up and down stairs. Throughout the project, staff at ThyssenKrupp Access is conducting product development dialogues and providing feedback on the concepts. They have provided product background information, application and configuration data, documentation on future concepts, and product demonstrations. ThyssenKrupp Access is enthusiastic about the opportunity to align with an entity outside the traditional industry, said William Koch, Vice President of Dealer Sales at ThyssenKrupp Access. With this collaboration, we will be able to tap into fresh new perspectives of design elements and co-develop product concepts. Koch hopes that the product concept(s) will enhance ThyssenKrupps current product offerings and create new market opportunities for a new lift category. To meet Kochs expectations for a broader market appeal, students are using universal design principles. Universally designed products take into consideration all potential users, said Bernard. The project will be successful if each student comes away with a greater understanding of design for people with disabilities as well as the able bodied population. This collaboration is a strategic fit for ThyssenKrupp Access, said Koch. CATEA is an organization that is directly related to universal design concepts and product development and the graduate students in the Industrial Design program are among the best. This project will give real-life application validity. About CATEA at Georgia Tech University Center for Assistive Technology &, Environmental Access (CATEA) was founded in the early 1980s to promote independence and participation of people with disabilities through a variety of projects that focus on research, development, education, and technology improvement. About ThyssenKrupp Access Since 1947, ThyssenKrupp Access, headquartered in Grandview, MO, has been the worlds leading accessibility equipment and residential elevator manufacturer. Equipment manufactured at its plant include stair lifts, wheelchair lifts and elevators for both residential and commercial use.