In Austria, more than a decade ago, a chef and restaurant owner lost the ability to stand due to a car accident, plunging his life into darkness. However, unexpectedly, a good friend specially designed a “suspended seat” for him, allowing him to reclaim his dream of being a chef.
In the back kitchen of a restaurant in Salzburg, Austria, Chef Peter Lammer cooks a variety of delicious dishes with ease, from preparing ingredients to frying fish and moving large soup pots to the stove. But unlike other chefs, he works sitting on a special suspended and movable chair.
The story dates back fourteen years, when a serious car accident forced Lammer away from his beloved chef profession.
Lammer explained that he was involved in a motorcycle accident in 2010, which left him with leg disabilities. All doctors told him that he could no longer work in jobs that require standing.
Despite undergoing numerous surgeries and physical therapies over six years, he still couldn’t stand, let alone walk normally. This also meant the end of Lammer’s career as a chef, a fact that was difficult for him to accept at the time.
Speaking to a Reuters reporter in the kitchen, Lammer said, “Indeed, the pain I feel in my legs has proven everything.”
In 2016, Lammer, feeling almost hopeless, called his close friend Bernhard Tichy, a carpenter and trained mountaineer, who runs a high-altitude zip line adventure center in his spare time designing and making equipment or metal tools.
Seeing his friend in such a dire situation, Tichy couldn’t bear it and had a sudden inspiration. He quickly customized a special suspended chair for Lammer. With this device, Lammer could move freely in the kitchen and continue his favorite chef’s work.
Lammer said, “Because it’s so flexible, you feel like you’re sitting on an exercise ball. Over time, you will gradually learn to maintain balance and train your back and core muscles.”
The device mainly consists of three parts: two parallel guide rails, a C-shaped cantilever connected to the guide rails that can slide freely, and an adjustable seat.
Tichy explained, “I installed a rotating joint at the top of the C-shaped cantilever so the seat can rotate 360 degrees, and the design of the C-arm prevents users from injuring themselves during movement. The seat is like a bicycle seat, adjustable in height.”
“We mount the guide rails on the ceiling or above any workspace so you can move freely within the entire area below.”
Tichy also mentioned that normal people who need to stand for long periods can also use this suspended seat to alleviate the burden on their legs.
To assist more physically impaired workers like Lammer, Lammer and Tichy co-founded a company called “Standing Ovation,” specializing in manufacturing and selling similar mobile assistive devices.
It’s worth noting that they have received recognition and support from the Austrian government. They aim to create more good products to benefit more people in need.