Name: Locher, Piper & Partner GmbH
Address: Zurlindenstrasse 16, Aarau, Aargau, 5000, Schweiz
Telephone: +41 79 783 38 34

LOCHER, PIPER & PARTNER

REINVENTING OUTDATED TECHNOLOGIES AND DEVELOPING NEW SOLUTIONS SINCE 2019

MISSION

We aim to reinvent and redesign domestic and industrial products to significantly improve their functionality, form and materiality, with a focus on high quality and longevity. We are committed to the highest possible environmental and ethical standards for our products and our business.

HISTORY

German inventor Marian Piper and Swiss product designer François Locher, both fathers of several children, joined forces to reinvent and redesign the current pram model with its inadequate functionality, redundant 1990s design, generally poor quality and low environmental and ethical standards.

They promptly recruited Swiss mechanical engineer Matthias Günthart to join the team and together they set up a Swiss limited company (GmbH) and then established a collaboration with FHNW, one of Switzerland's leading universities of applied sciences.

HOW WE WORK

We see ourselves as a think tank for product development and design, always seeking to improve the basic present and future living conditions of all sentient beings directly or indirectly involved in our projects. We aim to be an active part of an intelligent interdisciplinary global network and a work ethic committed to an earth-friendly economy.

The approach to all our projects will always be as holistic as possible. We are interested in the forgotten and the traditional, as well as innovative ideas, materials and technologies of the future.

We develop for ourselves and for others.

FOUNDERS | PARTNERS | TEAM

CONSULTANTS | SUPPORTERS

LIFTBOY

PROBLEM

ACCESSIBILITY | Everyday objects and environments are generally designed for people without mobility impairments. However, they are often inaccessible or difficult to reach for wheelchair users: Work surfaces, office furniture, cupboards, machinery, etc.

INCREASED RISK OF INJURY | Wheelchair users are forced to constantly stretch out their arms in order to reach high objects and perform certain activities. This constant strain increases the risk of injury.

SOCIAL ISOLATION | They feel small among standing people and cannot talk to them at eye level. This makes communication more difficult and damages self-confidence.

LIMITED VISIBILITY | In a shop, for example, they cannot see the displays very well. When people are standing, such as at a concert, their field of vision is extremely limited.

SITTING DOWN AND STANDING UP | Older wheelchair users in particular often find it difficult to sit down in a conventional wheelchair and even more difficult to stand up again and move to other surfaces such as a bed, toilet, etc. This often requires a great deal of strength and can also be a challenge for carers.

Vertical mobility can significantly improve the quality of life for wheelchair users. Until now, the only option is to buy specially made, height-adjustable wheelchairs, most of which are electric. These are all very expensive, usually very heavy and never fold compactly.

SOLUTION

LIFTBOY is the world's first removable seat adapter that transforms a standard wheelchair into a height-adjustable wheelchair.

At the touch of a button, wheelchair users can independently raise themselves to a standing height.

With a LIFTBOY seat adapter, almost any existing standard wheelchair can be easily converted into a height-adjustable wheelchair with sit-to-stand aid at an unbeatable price.

With the removable LIFTBOY seat adapter, a folding wheelchair remains foldable.

MORE INDEPENDENCE | Flexibility in everyday life and at work: kitchen equipment, shelves, machines, etc.

NO CONVERSION MEASURES NECESSARY | Flexible use in a wide range of professions and the use of conventional furniture and kitchen equipment make the LIFTBOY an indispensable aid, especially when wheelchair users and people who can stand live together.

BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE | Height adjustment up to the eye level of a standing person.

At the stove, at the filing cabinet, at the bar, at the sales counter or at a rock concert... With a LIFTBOY, the wheelchair user's sitting position can be adjusted in a matter of seconds so that they are at eye level with their standing companions:

With just a little muscle power, the seat lifts up to 30 cm. If arm or finger function is limited, the lift can be operated at the touch of a button by means of a tiny integrated motor.

The LIFTBOY adapter as a wheelchair height adjuster is another way of using the elegant and ultra-compact height adjuster originally developed for the chassis of our QIUNO pram

Height adjustment up to 30 cm

Load capacity up to 120 kg

With tiltable seat to help you stand up and sit down

Ultra-compact | purely mechanical | detachable | lightweight | durable | sustainable | affordable | engineered in Switzerland

Three variants:

1. LIFTBOY for autonomous, easy height adjustment for wheelchair users who can use their arms (“active wheelchair users”).

2. LIFTBOY for easy height adjustment by carers or companions ("passive wheelchair users").

3. LIFTBOY for height adjustment with ultra-compact and lightweight motor support.

Two versions:

1. LIFTBOY mainly in aluminum: heavier but cheaper

2. LIFTBOY mainly in carbon fibre composite: Lightweight but more expensive

All seat adapters will be equipped with a stand-up aid, where the seat can be tilted for sitting down and standing up. A stand-up aid is a great relief, especially for wheelchair users who are weakened by age or other conditions, but also for their carers.

APPLICATION

With the removable LIFTBOY adapter, a foldable wheelchair stays foldable!

Vertical mobility has changed my life. I think it's a wonderful project because the LIFTBOY makes it accessible to everyone.

BRIANEITOR | Actor, youtuber and streamer | 3 million of followers on social media

Such an adapter would be a sensation!

DANIEL HÜBNER | Managing Director of RehaBund Berlin | Over 25 years of experience in the industry

A lift adapter like this is missing on the market and will have great opportunities.
The market is huge.

BEN DE RYCKER | Managing Director of De Rijcker Go | Three generations of experience in the industry

PARTNERS

QIUNO

ABOUT

Unprecedented and unrivalled design features: Ultra compact | Fold and unfold at the touch of a button | Adjustable height

Groundbreaking technology | 43 pages of patents in the US, EU and Japan with 100% probability of being granted | Wider product application

> 100,000 potential customers per year in Germany alone

> Premiumisation is a major growth factor in the global pushchair and pram market

FUNCTIONAL PROTOTYPE OF THE CHASSIS

The functional prototype of the chassis is our proof of concept: using purely mechanical energy, the chassis opens and closes at the touch of a button. The system is powered by a gas spring in the lift, which counteracts the weight of the child, similar to an office chair.

To enable the chassis to open and close at the touch of a button, the lift is coupled to the chassis outriggers. The outriggers are also coupled together so that they do not block each other when the chassis is opened and closed, and the pram is always in a safe position during the process.

Note: The push handle is a temporary construction! Later it can be operated quickly and easily with one hand and a single button.

Locher, Piper & Partner GmbH commissioned Dr.-Ing. Roland Schröder, an engineer from Lüneburg, to build the functional prototype of the chassis.

On 30 August, Dr.-Ing. Roland Schröder presented the improved prototype to our team. We were particularly impressed by the pram's manoeuvrability and its ultra-compact size when folded.