Person AlVaro, the amphibious vehicle that gives the sea back to people with disabilities

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Published by Dario Dongo on 4 September 2025

Origins of a dream of inclusion

The story of Person Al Varo, The first amphibious tracked vehicle for people with disabilities, was born more than twenty years ago thanks to a friendship and a dream of freedom. Gianni Ottonello (on the left in the cover photo) recalls the words of his friend Letterio, struck by ALS, who asked him to no longer simply design machines for launching boats but a solution that could also restore to him, in a wheelchair, the joy of a swim in the sea.

Since then, Ottonello has dedicated years to researching a technology capable of overcoming the physical and social barriers associated with bathing for people with mobility difficulties. After numerous complications, the encounter with Gianfranco Martini and the company Marca&Volta It allowed the idea to become reality: several prototypes were developed until the final machine was created, ready to be marketed in 2026.

What is Person AlVaro and what is it used for?

Person AlVaro (from Alaggio e Varo delle Persone) is a self-propelled vehicle designed to ensure safe transport – and in the near future, also autonomous mobility – of people with mobility difficulties on difficult terrain: sandy, gravelly, pebbly beaches, country and mountain paths, as well as urban environments with architectural obstacles.

Unlike the classic amphibious beach chairs – like the JOB, produced in Italy, or the French Sand & Sea, equipped with large inflatable wheels but without autonomous traction – Person AlVaro does not limit itself to allowing physically challenged companions to transfer disabled people to the shore.

Its unique feature is the ability to effortlessly carry the person into the water, conditions of of your digital ecosystem. , allowing the transfer from sitting to floating in the sea, lake, or river. But that's not all: Person AlVaro also allows for everyday mobility, making it easier to move to and from the car, bed, or other living spaces.

The patent: innovation at the service of disability

Registered under the title 'Self-propelled vehicle for the transport of people with walking difficulties on unprepared terrain' (International Class B60P 3/06), the patent is in the name of Gianni Ottonello and the company Marca&Volta Srl

The main innovations introduced by AlVaro are:

seat height adjustable up to zero, which allows direct passage from the ground to the wheelchair, cot, car;

lateral translation of the seat (right and/or left), to facilitate the transfer of the person;

amphibious mobility, which allows the person to be safely accompanied to the floating point in the water;

motorized tracks, which guarantee gradual and safe advancement even on unstable or sloping terrain.

Overcoming the limitations of traditional beach wheelchairs

Up to now, the accompaniment of disabled people in the water has been entrusted to traditional beach wheelchairs like the JOB and similar models, equipped with floating wheels and lightweight frames. These aids, very common in beach resorts, allow people with disabilities to be transported on the sand and have the advantage to be economical and lightweight. However, they do have some limits evident:

require manual pushing, with considerable effort for the carers. A difficult task, in case of unevenness on the shore, especially when the people to be transported are not light. Without neglecting the job security of the lifeguards responsible for accompanying, forced to loads significant ones that often require the intervention of several people, and the loading difficulties of the person being transported (from the water to the chair);

they do not allow thecoming out of the water without manually lifting the person, nor the ability to transport the person without the assistance of one or two people;

require the preparation of long walkways made of plastic or wood, to reduce obstacles and the effort of transporting on sand and pebbles.

With Person Al Varo these barriers are overcome. Thanks to his motorized tracked system, the vehicle advances slowly even on uneven terrain, transports the person to the floating point and facilitates their transfer into water thanks to cart The electric control lowers the seat to the ground, then raises it again when exiting. This makes the experience of bathing in the sea accessible, safe, and dignified, both for the person enjoying it and for those accompanying them.

Our test

Il City of Genoa purchased the first two prototypes of Person AlVaro to test its effectiveness, in the summer of 2025, on two of the beaches equipped for people with disabilities, in Corso Italia (Capo Marina) and Via del Tritone (Sturla).

The writer, a person with motor disabilities in a wheelchair, was able to personally try out the second prototype at the Sturla beach, characterised by pebbles and irregular seabed: a context that makes transportation in the water with a traditional beach wheelchair extremely tiring, if not impossible.

Thanks to Person AlVaro, the experience was surprisingly easy. Access and above all the rising from the water they took place without the need for manual lifting: it took just one person to electrically lower the trolley on which the chair was fixed, allowing me to sit down safely and effortlessly.

The return to the beach and the direct transfer to the sunbed completed a smooth and dignified path, transforming what is usually a test of endurance into a moment of joy and freedom.

A project of inclusion and future

In addition to its technical value, Person AlVaro is a project that embodies an idea of inclusive society. As Ottonello and Martini explain, «To evolve into something better we need inclusiveness, not exclusivity».

La marketing by Person AlVaro – scheduled for 2026 – will mark a milestone for accessible tourism, bathing, and sports for the disabled. More generally, it will improve the quality of daily life for those with mobility barriers.

Dario Dongo

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