The Kilimanjaro Challenge is a project led by the Institution’s Iberia Group volunteers to design and build a human-powered wheelchair that will help a Spanish Paralympic athlete to climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania - almost 6,000 metres above sea level. So what better place to launch the Kilimanjaro Challenge and display the first prototype of the wheelchair but at the Institution's most well known event: Formula Student.
The Launch
The Kilimanjaro Challenge UK launch was attended by 30 VIP guests including President Elect and Chairman of the Formula Student organising committee, Jon Hilton CEng FIMechE. Steve Smeets of the Ford Motor Company and Luis Pena Guerra Pena, Vice President of Airbus were also among some of the guests who watched the project team gave a presentation on the project so far, as well as a demonstration of the first prototype of the vehicle. Following the presentation, the Institution’s President, Richard Folkson spoke in his support of the project, much to the delight of the team and the VIP audience.
-congratulates-the-team-on-their-inspirational-project.jpg?sfvrsn=49cbf012_2 "The Institution's President, Richard Folkson (far right) congratulates the team on their inspirational project")
The Institution's President, Richard Folkson (far right) congratulates the team on their inspirational engineering project, the Kilimanjaro Challenge
Manuel Santaolalla, the Project Leader and Chairman of the Iberia Group said immediately following the event: “All has been absolutely great. The experience, as always with Formula Student is great and the impact in the VIP is marvelous!”
Manuel Santaolalla, Iberia Group Chairman and Kilimanjaro Challenge team member explaining the functionality of the chair The Prototype Wheelchair
The first prototype of the wheelchair, which was on display in the Paddock for the entire Formula Student event drew lots of attention from people attending, as Eija Hakkinen, Logistics and Operations Manager for Formula Student remarked: “The Kilimanjaro Challenge project team did some valuable networking and raised a lot of interest. People were offering to donate to the amazing project. Next time they should have pledge cards with them! They also loved their central location in the paddock”.
The first prototype of the wheelchair on display at Formula Student
The wheelchair prototype has been manufactured in composite materials by volunteers of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Airbus and Altran, together with other sponsors and collaborators, making the Kilimanjaro Challenge a truly unique project which brings together volunteering, corporate social responsibility and innovative technologies.
The Climb
The climb of Kilimanjaro, confirmed to be from 3-15 September will include 10 people doing the climb in addition to the paralympic athlete who will be using the chair: four IMechE members, three doctors, two professional guides, and one representative from Altran and Airbus. The group aims to do video streaming of the complete climb to be followed by people and they will also be maintaining information on an up to date blog and social media.
Dr Helen Meese, the Institution’s Head of Engineering and Society has been involved in the project in an advisory capacity since its inception in early 2014 and is delighted at the progress of the project so far. Helen explained: “The whole thing has been really fantastic actually. It has given us an opportunity to showcase our IMechE members work outside of the UK, which is great. It’s also an opportunity to show how engineering is relevant to society from the point of view of enabling a disabled person to climb a very high mountain. That really brings home to you the need for engineering in our everyday lives. The team have been amazing. They have brought together all types of engineering; from composite to materials to manufacturing right through to the mechanical mechanisms of the chair and how you put those together in a way that a disabled person who can used them. They have worked incredibly hard outside of their normal working hours to complete the project which shows real dedication and shows what it really means to be an engineer”.
The Kilimanjaro Challenge team members with the prototype chair at the launch event
This UK launch follows an earlier launch this year in June in Madrid. You can read more about the Madrid launch or go to the Iberia Group’s NearYou pages to find out more about the other events and activities run by the group in Spain and Portugal which you could get involved in too.