The Story

Traditional automotive creepers have wheels that get stuck in floor cracks, shift wildly over bolts or other loose parts and frequently break, leaving a mechanic stuck. But how do you solve these problems and make the creeper, a mainstay of mechanics’ garages for more than a century, more innovative? Our task was to reinvent the product line for a leading manufacturer of creepers, who was faced with stiff competition from overseas.

The Solution

We eliminated the most expensive and breakage-prone parts, the wheels and casters, and replaced them with air by incorporating a compressed air bladder. Instead of trying to roll over an uneven or cracked garage floor, the new Hover Creeper literally hovers slightly above it. To use, the mechanic plugs in the creeper, lies down on the ergonomic pad and glides under the car. Once underneath, he can hit a lever, let the creeper fall to the ground and have stable leverage for more torque. Tools that use compressed air can be plugged into an outlet on the unit and it also has a built in tool caddy.

Description

The Hover Creeper is an automotive creeper that hovers on air, ensuring there is never any wheel or caster maintenance needed. Air simply goes in a bladder inlet and escapes in an even manner between the rubber bladder and the floor, creating an “air” cushion. The Hover Creeper is ergonomically-designed for comfort and even includes side pockets for carrying tools and parts while working.

Awards

Industrial Design Excellence Awards- Silver

This corporate product was invented and licensed by Davison for its own benefit.