Lorenzo Pompei - 'the first backer' is a social business entrepreneur who has backed up various social and community initiatives.

Massimo Ghidelli, Samuele Reali and Stefano Martinelli from AbnormalCycles - 'the magicians',  are the award winning mechanics and designers behind the MarioWay.

OUR IMPACT: LIVES ARE TRANSFORMED

MarioWay creates autonomy 

MarioWay moves through balancing the upper torso leaving people's hands and arms free to do whatever they like without any assistance: play basketball, shoot a movie, talking over the phone while on the street etc.

Its size allows people to pass through the average doorway on their own making it possible for them to go to places previously inaccessible to them. 

MarioWay transforms relationships

The user is at a standing height, making eye contact or shaking hands simple again. Breaking away from the seating position of traditional wheelchairs, MarioWay improves communication and interpersonal relationships. 

Its mechanical suspensions protect the users from the discomfort of bumps and holes during a ride.

Its purpose-built seat and knee rest allow the user to comfortably rest while being out and about in town and at home. MarioWay can also be used to exercise the body.

Neck: reduction of neck pain and migraine that are caused by the muscle tension involved in the traditional wheelchair sitting posture.

Eyes: improved postural comfort can boost attention and efficiency due to a decreased musculoskeletal pain.

Rib cage: an ergonomic posture keeps the breathing pattern regular, improving the cardiovascular system.

Thoracic diaphragm:compression on the diaphragm is drastically reduced, facilitating the digestion process and bowel movements.

Abdomen and gluteal region: effective prevention of back pain. MarioWay allows a natural angle between the hip bones and the femur. It reinforces the core muscles of the back.

Upper limbs: MarioWay prevents tendinitis and brachial neuralgia.

Lower limbs: MarioWay prevents swollen legs, feet and ankle due to a fixed, traditional seated position thanks to the peripheral vascular circulation generated by the MarioWay mechanic up-and-down movement.

Ergonomic sitting position at variable heights: the weight load on the lumbar spine district is almost zeroed.  MarioWay prevents decubitus ulcers; it also prevents osteopenia (that is, below-average bone mineral density).

MarioWay removes stigma 

While there are some stand up wheel chairs in the market, Marioway is unique in that it combines Made in USA technology with Italian mechanics, craftsmanship and sophisticated design. We made it 100% adaptable (adapted to the users' characteristics and tastes), quick, and beautiful. No more chunky metal frames that stigmatize people with disabilities. We wanted to create something that all of us would want to ride. As we were developing MarioWay, we kept asking ourselves: would George Clooney ride this? 

By supporting us, you will be funding more than a revolutionary chair, you will transforms lives, relationships and people. You will help narrow the gap between people in terms of their life quality.

PROTOTYPE TECHNICAL DATA

• Distance from the ground to the base: 3.35 inches (8.5 cm)
  
• Width:  24.8 inches (63 cm)
  
• Full-battery travel range: 16 ~ 24.2 miles (26 ~ 39 km)
  
• Radius curve: zero.
  
• Maximum speed: 12.4 mph (20 kmph).
  
• Total weight: 105.8lbs (48kgs) (base, batteries and wheels included) + 57.3lbs (26kgs) (aluminum upper structure, seat and knee rests).
• User minimum weight: 66lbs (30kgs).
• User maximum weight: 198.5lbs (90kgs)
• Total maximum moving mass: 361.5lbs (164kgs) 

WHEELS

The wheels are the result of the best application of technology and craftsmanship developed for exclusive motorcycles. The rim was created with a CNC flow-forming and metal spinning machine.

It is then hardened and shaped inside out with a lathe. This makes it very special because the rim does not have any welds and is thus a perfect circle.

The alloy used is an aluminum alloy grade 6082 that has been strain hardened with thermal treatment T6. The 24 M6 wheel spokes and hub are made of high strength 304 grade stainless steel and are obtained by cold forging.

The external finishing is achieved by black anodizing so there will be not any paint chips, sleek, and it improves its resistance.

All components are made in Italy except for the tyres (Segway original 100/60x14 tube type).

CUSTOMIZATION

It can be adapted to lower-limb amputated users.

WHAT WE NEED 

• make it even better: we want to create Prototype 3.0 in Q1 2014, which will have decubitus preventive material for the seat and knee pads, added comfort and additional safety measures. See the sketch below
  

• get the CE certification: we need this to start production (and yes, it is a tedious task but it needs to be done) 
• obtain international patent: another must if we want to change the lives of people around the world
• manufacture the first 10 MarioWays to be commercialized (yeah!!!)
• Observe and learn: we want to carry out a study on 100 potential users to understand their needs and help us improve MarioWay and develop the MarioWay community
• develop Smartphone Apps for training and fitness programs.

OUR PLEDGE TO OUR SUPPORTERS

Here is what we plan to do with the funding we get, in chronological order.

Step 1: get our house in order i.e. refine MarioWay and get it ready for the market

Step 2: manufacture MarioWays

STRETCH GOALS

These will be added as soon as we reach our original funding to provide transparency to our supporters. 

WHAT YOU GET

PRESS

RISKS AND CHALLENGES

• Economies of scales: we need a minimum orders to start production and keep the business sustainable.
  
• Quality, craftsmanship at an affordable price: we need to focus on keeping costs under control and deliver the best possible quality, whilst avoiding relocation to low-cost countries. We think businesses have social responsibility in terms of developing their communities including local suppliers, customers and supporters.
  
• Certification: we will need to go through several certification processes (CE, FCC) as well as pre-clearance and registration (think of the FDA in the US) before being able to market MarioWays.
  
• Recourse to multiple gyroscopic mobility devices: in our quest for quality, the first choice fell on Segway®;  we can consider similar work on other brands
  
• Keep a green, ethical, sustainable, socially-aware business whilst generating stakeholder positive returns
  

FAQs

What price tag will the MarioWay have? Depending on the level of customization required by the user, we aim at selling standard MarioWays in the region of $16k/$20k. We understand that is quite pricey, but the technology and components used justify this tag. Our goal is to make this device increasingly accessible to more people.

Up to what level of disability can the MW be used? We have so far successfully tested with a T9 user; bearing in mind that this is just prototype 2.1, we aim to raise our goals and progress for disabilities stemming from upper SCIs.

What certifications are you looking for?  To enter in production, we will need to pass industry standard certifications such as CE, TÜV. If used as a medical device, we will seek approval to the relevant authority  for each country.

Trials. With the funds raised, we will dedicate time to clinical trials on a sample of SCI-affected people to observe the use and feed-back from potential users.

When do you plan to have the MarioWay in production? We are looking at Q1 2015

Where can it be found? Our target markets are Europe, Northern America and Australia to start with.

How can I carry a MarioWay around with my car?  There are already ad-hoc elevators for cars available on the market to lift similar weights into the trunk.

Is the MarioWay allowed on public spaces such as roads, sidewalks, malls? Depending on the geography and state, similar two-wheels balanced electric devices are allowed in the majority of public spaces.

Can I buy parts?  It will be possible to purchase separately the upper mechanical part, wheels, knee-rests, handles and seats.

What is the maximum user weight allowed on a MarioWay? We estimate that 90 kgs is the maximum recommended weight. 

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

Thanks for taking some time to check out this project which is the fruit of our guts, dedication and passion for leveling the playing field for all (as well as countless sleepless nights). 

You can support us by funding us but also by spreading our vision by talking about MarioWay (you can use Indiegogo share tools). One word from you to the right people could make our Upright Revolution become a reality.