Didofy Lotus
Pushchair with a patented automatic folding mechanism, developed for Didofy.
The Didofy Lotus is a pushchair built around a single patented mechanism that folds the frame automatically. The brief was to solve a problem any parent with a pushchair will recognise: needing both hands free at the wrong moment. D2M designed the Lotus from concept through to production.
The Story
The folding mechanism had to be reliable above everything else. A powered fold that fails in use is worse than no powered fold at all, so the design was built around a single actuator rather than a system of moving parts. Fewer components meant fewer points of failure, and the mechanism could be engineered to a standard that justified a patent.
Getting there took extensive development. Multiple prototypes were built and tested before the fold performed consistently to the required standard. D2M worked through each iteration with the Didofy team, resolving the mechanical behaviour of the fold alongside the overall form and material specification of the pushchair. An integrated phone charger was added to the specification during development, addressing a secondary need that emerged through the process.
The Outcome
The Lotus reached the premium travel system market with a patented folding mechanism and has been positioned as a technology-led product within the Didofy range.
