nir shalom: amigo dog wheelchair

‘amigo’ by nir shalom image courtesy of nir shalom

israeli industrial designer nir shalom presents his canine prosthetic as part of ‘thinking hands’, an exhibition in ventura lambrate at milan design week 2011. the device attaches at the hips of small dogs with disabled rear legs and allows for increased mobility over other dog wheelchairs due to the dynamic and more independently moving supports.an elastic knee joint is set backwards, allowing dogs to access stairs and lay down and sit up on their own.  

laying down image courtesy of nir shalom

still in a prototype stage, the ‘amigo’ – fabricated out of aluminum, molded plastic and custom padding with durable rubber wheels – is constructed on a per dog basis to ensure a proper fit.

3/4 view image © designboom

legs are velcroed into straps and rest on a padded bar image © designboom

the dog’s main body sits in a padded and contoured shell image © designboom

detail image © designboom