Originally Published 22 June 2001
A new simple, cost effective device, designed for wheelchair users to automatically open doors, is launched today by Coventry company Xcalibre in a research partnership with the University of Warwick. The device has already been snapped up by a residential home, a College for disabled students (Hereward College in Coventry), and a guest house in Rugby.

Automatic doors are a common feature of modern life but they are often costly, and require specialist installation and maintenance. Xcalibre saw a need for a simple, inexpensive, easy to install (and also easy to move) system for use in a wheelchair user's home or place of work.

They decided to make use of the Teaching Company Scheme (TCS), an initiative encouraging the transfer of technology and know-how from universities to companies. The scheme enables a university researcher to work at a significantly subsidised cost within a company to meet a particular technological challenge faced by that firm. The University of Warwick operates a TCS Centre managing 20 such partnerships with industry and assigned University of Warwick researcher Martin Millson to assist the company.

Working with the company Martin was quickly able to help them develop a door opening device that was indeed; simple, inexpensive, easy to install (and move), but that was also low in energy cost and saved on wiring by using radio frequency switches.

The device is approved by the fire service and has already been successfully installed in Coventry's Hereward College, The Chimneys residential home in Rugby, and the Belvedere House Guest in Coventry.

For further information please contact:

Martin Millson on 024 76 444412


The contacts at the 3 places where the device is in place are:

Hereward College, Mr Barry Rose 02476 461231
The Chimneys residential Home Rugby Mrs. Anne Damash 01788- 521901
Belvedere House Guest House Coventry Mr Baz Dhinjan 02476 672662