Necessity was the mother of an invention which could improve access for the wheelchair-bound worldwide.

An Israeli farmer has come up with a new shock-absorbing wheel design, which is better suited to off-road applications.

Mr Gilad Wolf came up with the idea when he broke his pelvis in 2008, and was determined not to let his wheelchair become an impediment to farm work. After a short while of pain and discomfort from bouncing around rough terrain in a standard chair, Mr Wolf realised he needed something more forgiving.

Following a long series of experiments on the farm, Mr Wolf took his concept to the Rad-BioMed Technology Accelerator in Tel Aviv.

Engineers have now helped to transform his concept sketches into a patent-pending product called SoftWheel.

SoftWheel uses “symmetric and selective technology,” to smooth out the ride for wheelchairs, bicycles and other light wheeled transport.

It uses three compression cylinders to absorb shocks from within the wheel itself.

The arrangement takes the force of the shock and transfers it to forward momentum for the rider.

The wheel’s hub effectively floats mid-air while holding up the chair’s mass, so riders can traverse stairs and curbs nearly as easily as gliding down a ramp.

“Once you’ve eliminated sagging and bobbing you can work miracles,” one designer said.

The wheels are very nearly ready for use in bicycles and wheelchairs, but the engineers say the applications will not stop there.

Automaker Daimler invited the design team to speak at an innovation meeting, and government officials have also taken a keen interest.

The SoftWheel team says their product will be applied to cars, trains, cranes, and even airplane landing gear - anything in need of a smoother motion.

The following video shows the wheel in action.