Adaptable House
Overhead Mobility System
A supportive system that keeps you moving at home
Concept
The Overhead Mobility System is a home-integrated support that helps people move safely, comfortably, and confidently as their abilities change. It supports your movement while allowing you to stay active and in control.
The system provides three adaptable levels of support. You can move independently with fall protection always on, add partial support to make your body feel lighter and more capable, or sit and be fully supported as the system carries you gently from place to place.
What makes this system different is that it protects safety and dignity while preserving independence and the freedom to keep using your body as your abilities evolve.
Design Intent
The system is designed to activate and support the body. Unlike traditional mobility aids, it encourages balance, strength, and continued engagement with your physical environment.
By offering three modes of support, it meets users where they are each day — helping them stay upright when they can, receive assistance when needed, and rest safely when their energy fades. The goal is not only safety, but independence, confidence, and continued participation in everyday life.
User Experience
Adjust the system instantly as your strength, balance, and energy change.
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Independent mode: move freely with fall protection ready.
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Partial support: You stay in control, adjusting the level of lift to match your strength and energy in the moment — so you can move comfortably and confidently.
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Full support: rest in a supportive seat that carries you safely through the home. Movement feels intuitive and reassuring — something to rely on, not something that defines you.
Mary’s Reflection
“I come from an athletic background. Movement has always been how I understand myself and the world. Living with multiple sclerosis means my strength and balance can change without warning.
The hardest part isn’t the weakness—it’s the constant calculation. Is it safe to move? Should I sit? Should I stop before something happens?
This system doesn’t define me by my limitations. It adapts to me. Some days I move almost entirely on my own, knowing support is there if I need it. Other days, I choose more help so I can keep walking, cooking, and moving through my home when I otherwise wouldn’t. And when I need full support, it doesn’t feel like giving up. It feels like being held.
Yesterday I moved freely. Today I’m supported. Tomorrow could be either. What matters is that I’m still choosing, still present.
It expands what’s still possible—making living in my body feel safe, capable, and even fun again. It’s not about pushing harder. It’s about staying in motion—with confidence, dignity, and hope. And that changes everything.”
Research & Collaboration
Developed over a decade through interdisciplinary research at the University of Washington across Human-Centered Design, Mechanical Engineering, and Mechatronics. Student teams tested full-scale tracks, body-support interfaces, multi-axis control, safety features, and intuitive user controls — providing a strong foundation for fabrication and home integration, ensuring a reliable, joyful, and empowering experience for users.
Next Steps
Fabrication, prototyping, and home integration are underway. We are seeking funding, engineering, and manufacturing partners to refine, prototype, and deploy this adaptive mobility system in everyday spaces.
Join Us. Make an Impact.
Help bring the Overhead Mobility System to life:
• Donate – Fund the development of a system that redefines safe, independent movement
• Collaborate – Partner on prototyping, engineering, or user testing
• Volunteer – Share the project, advocate for accessible mobility, and help spread awareness
Together, we can redefine what it means to move safely, freely, and with dignity at home.
