Air Tech Italy recently spoke to its newest Member, Avathor. A company that stands to revolutionize the approach to PRM (Persons with Reduced Mobility).
Avathor is an innovative start-up founded last year with as main objective to develop and commercialize high-value technological products and services in the mobility segment, with a specific focus on electric solutions for people with disabilities or reduced mobility.
We spoke to two of Avathors’s management members, Ermanno Silvani, CEO and COO Gino Mancin.
Gentlemen, what is the ambition with Avathor? Where does the idea come from and what are your goals?
Avathor is simply put, an electric vehicle that transports people with a disability or with reduced mobility. What is so special, is that the users have the freedom to move autonomously in different environments. The wheelchair user can easily move with the vehicle using his/her own wheelchair, driving around in the vehicle using the built-in display with the map as well as a steering wheel.
The Avathor supports many different applications, they all support the user in his freedom to move around the airport. This is quite different from the standard PRM solution where the users get taken directly to the gate leaving them little autonomy. With the Avathor you are free to move around the airport in the way you like, allowing you to use all facilities of the airport. Once you arrive at the gate someone, will help you to board the airplane as is the case now. We see multiple uses for museums, hotels etc…the vehicle has an electronic control screen on board that allows the user to see the information on where it is, how long the vehicle can be used, how to switch it off etc …. the status of the battery can easily be seen from a distance in any kind of operations centre (using a built in sim card for communication purposes).
Why is Avathor different? What is your selling argument towards airports or ground handlers?
What the Avathor brings above all is the “full freedom of movement to experience the airport exactly like all other passengers”, this will no doubt substantially improve the passenger experience for everyone. Besides this we can save costs related to the airport’s PRM services, many airports and airlines spend hundreds of thousands of euros per year to support these services with only a small part that can be recuperated as it’s an obligatory service for the airport. What the Avathor brings in, is extra income because those travellers using the device will spend time in retail, whether shops or restaurants. Something they couldn’t do previously. The airport can also decide to eventually charge users – that have in principle no right to use the service. – for using the Avathor.
How does the future look like, what trends do you see and what role can the Avathor play?
Mobility is a key aspect of life, we want to bring mobility back to those that are limited in terms of their own mobility and this on all levels, from traveling to visiting museums, from attending concerts to going to big events. It’s important for us to see how we can bring a greater deal of flexibility in helping people with disabilities move around so they better enjoy life and what life can bring them.
We will start to assemble the products in Torino, Italy so that it’s cheaper to ship the device it around, as we will be sending assemblies not the finished products. We can count on the support of the well known design agency ItalDesign. It’s one of Italy’s largest design agencies with well over 1000 employees, they develop innovative ideas and solutions. What they design we can develop and that is how we started collaborating on the Avathor. This will also be reflected in the naming which will be Avathor by Italdesign.
In the future we will continue to focus on developing innovative technologies that support creating satisfying moments.
Disabilities should not block anyone from enjoying life to the fullest. We will look into developing products and services in the field of ageing, disability, etc….in short all what is needed to enjoy life to the fullest.
Many thanks Ermanno and Gino!
We wish you a successful start and many new, exciting and successful products Designed and Made In Italy.
Find out more about Avathor here.