Staircases

The same mechanisms that allow the Bro to climb enable it to adjust its height to between 45 and 87 cm

Good Thinking

Upstairs, downstairs in Scewo's two-wheel, self-balancing wheelchair

The ultimate in assistive mobility, Scewo’s Bro is the only self-balancing wheelchair able to rise up and climb stairs. This two-wheeled personal electric vehicle is delightfully intuitive to maneuver, as I found out first-hand at this year’s CES.

A Spring in your step weighs 4 tonnes (4.48 US tons)

Architecture

Alex Chinneck puts a surreal spin on an everyday spiral staircase

Alex Chinneck's latest work sees the architectural artist reveal what he calls his most complex and ambitious sculpture to date: a spiral staircase that has a surreal twist and appears to be bursting apart as it climbs the side of a building.

Researchers have developed a device that makes climbing stairs easier, by storing energy from a user's descent and giving it back to help people on the way up

Architecture

Energy-recycling stairs put a spring in each step

Climbing stairs is a chore that's inspired some creative alternatives. Now a team from Georgia Tech and Emory University has developed energy-recycling stairs that take some of the pressure off the knees and ankles, by storing energy from people descending then giving it back as they climb up.

The Scewo is a latest, and most stylish, iteration of a stair climbing wheelchair from a team of Zurich-based designers

Good Thinking

Stylish stair-climbing wheelchair merges the Segway with a tank

The Scewo is the latest wheelchair design that can navigate staircases. The sleek prototype uses two big wheels with a Segway-styled balancing system to navigate flat ground and drops a set of rubber tracks to tackle stairs.

An experimental prototype designed by Rombaout Labs and dubbed "Vertical Walking" uses human power to allow movement between floors of a building with only ten percent of the effort needed to climb stairs and without the need for any external power

Around The Home

Prototype system replaces stairs and elevators with human power

A new human-powered system prototype dubbed Vertical Walking has been developed that requires just ten percent of the effort needed to climb stairs, but can easily move a person up vast numbers of floors within a building.

Vessel will comprise a 150-ft (46-m) tall "geometric lattice of intersecting flights of stairs"

Architecture

New Yorkers invited to step up for never-ending stairway trail

New York's developing Hudson Yards neighborhood, of which High Line at the Rail Yards is already a part, will soon be home to a new public space with a unique artwork. Vessel will comprise a 150-ft tall "geometric lattice of intersecting flights of stairs" designed for climbing and exploring.

CanopyStair is a modular system for attaching a staircase to the trunk of a tree

Good Thinking

CanopyStair helps you traverse the treetops

CanopyStair is a modular system for creating a staircase up and around a tree. This allows children and adults alike to traverse the treetops, gaining an elevated view of their surroundings, as well as an understanding of this interesting ecosystem.

The Living Staircase provides spaces for relaxation, creative thinking and workplace interaction

Architecture

Living Staircase combines a garden, meeting spaces and a tea bar

A new workspace in the UK has a staircase that does more than just get people from one level to another. Ampersand's Living Staircase in London features rows of planting boxes above the handrails, spaces for relaxation or meetings, a tea bar and a library.

The staircase of Panorama House is large and multifunctional, going above and beyond its main function

Architecture

Epic staircase incorporates cinema, library, and playroom

Panorama House by architectural firm Moon Hoon features a multifunctional staircase that forms a central element of the house's cinema, library, and playroom.