Success Stories
A York Region Success Story
Argonault Corporation
A Thornhill company is overcoming barriers with a wheelchair that can climb stairs
A single step can present an insurmountable barrier for people who depend on wheelchairs. But, Vladimir Ivanchenko has a solution.
His company, Argonault Corporation 
, has created a wheelchair with the ability to climb stairs. And, that’s not all. Ivanchenko, holds patents for a multi-functional wheelchair that promises to give people with disabilities more mobility and independence.
He got the idea for the device while working for a Canadian company that converted minivans into special purpose vehicles for use by people with disabilities.
“It's incredibly difficult for people with disabilities to get into and out of their cars when using a wheelchair,” says Ivanchenko. “It was such a complicated procedure that it got me thinking — there had to be a faster and easier way to help people with disabilities move around.”
With his background in mechanical engineering, Ivanchenko set to work and designed a prototype. The fully operational device has an adjustable height that allows users to independently get in and out of bed, reach items off the ground or a high counter, and board and disembark unmodified vehicles — such as a standard minivan — in comfort.
“There’s no equivalent to this product on the market,” says Oleg Amurjuev, who was assigned as a mentor to Ivanchenko when Argonault requested help from VentureLab [formerly the Innovation Synergy Centre in Markham (ISCM) and YORKbiotech Inc.] — now part of the Ontario Network of Excellence (ONE) .
The ISCM helped Ivanchenko realize his product’s potential.
In 2009, he was encouraged to attend the MedTrade show in Orlando, Florida, to exhibit Argonault’s prototype. Afterward, he was contacted by the Department of Veterans Affairs in the United States. Their feedback on his design was overwhelmingly positive.
The next step is to turn the prototype into an industrial sample that can be mass produced. With Amurjuev's mentorship, Argonault has partnered with AVN Automation — an engineering company located in Concord, Ontario — and has spent six months developing and manufacturing initial pre-production units. And, they brought Mississauga’s ABF Custom Manufacturing Ltd. onboard to build the working prototype, and help prove that Ivanchenko’s concept is feasible for full-scale industrial production.
The partnership is now working towards finalizing the industrial sample. The company aims to create new jobs by manufacturing the mobility systems in York Region.
“There are still challenges to overcome,” Ivanchenko acknowledges. “For example, you can’t just sit down in Argonault’s concept and use it successfully as you could with a traditional wheelchair. Users will need to learn how to effectively use the electronics system. But, I think the advantages will prove to be well worth the investment.”
And, Ivanchenko knows that with such a strong team behind him, every barrier will be overcome.
Click here for video of the wheelchair in action .
See also:
