Omnia's Peter McKinnon introduces the Plant Glider

Now that his Beresfield company Omnia, a developer and manufacturer of omni-directional wheels, has finalised its design for a plant glider, his plans for it are ambitious.

"We think the US and European markets will love it - whether it be for seniors or unit dwellers. Everyone has pots they need to move but there isn't this type of product out there," he says.

Mr McKinnon is a founding director of Mainbrace Constructions, which focuses on retail construction across the eastern seaboard and whose recent projects include the recent refurbishment of David Jones' flagship Sydney store and, closer to home, H&M in Charlestown.

He is also managing director of Omnia, formerly Rotacaster, which specialises in multi-directional or omni wheels and if a former recipient of the manufacturer of year at the Hunter Manufacturing Awards.

There are only a handful of commercial manufacturers of the omni wheel, which has three major applications: firstly, as an alternative to swivel casters used on everything from office chairs to supermarket trolleys; secondly on conveyers and thirdly for robotic mobility.

"Omni wheels provide the benefits of a fixed wheel but with the multidirectional capability of a swivel caster, so they bring the best of both into one product which gives a more intuitive user experience," Mr McKinnon says.

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"Our core technology is centred around the omni wheel and we believe we are leading the world in that."

After using the technology to make hand trolleys that are used by the major supermarket chains, Omnia delved into conveyer systems before Mr McKinnon turned his focus to the Plant Glider.

"It's been in the back of our mind for a few years, my neighbours continually prodded me to do it, so we finally designed one about a year and half ago," he said.

While there are other plant dollies or gliders - that is, a wheeled platform that plants can sit on and be moved easily - Mr McKinnon says Omia's wheel technology and design makes theirs unique.

"There are ones on the market ranging from $8 to $60 but what happens is they tip over easily, corrode or collapse or their casters jam up and they can't handle weight," he says.

"It can take a lot of effort to put a pot on a dolly and when it doesn't work or collapse it's frustrating, or when you move it, the joints in concrete can trip them up."

Omnia's design briefing to Sydney industrial design firm Design + Industry was to have a product that was beautiful and useful.

It came up with a six-wheel version that Mr McKinnon says can carry up to 90 kilos of weight with hidden wheels that will not catch on uneven surfaces.

"It just looks like the base of the pot and the benefit of ours is not just the load stability and gliding but that you can overload it without breaking it," he says.

Made from recycled polyurethane that doesn't rust, the plant glider will soon come in a range of colours beyond the standard white and charcoal.

"It's a simple product but it really is only possible because of the wheel technology," Mr McKinnon says.

"We think it will make an invaluable difference to people who take pride in their pot plants, not only from functional perspective but also in its aesthetic. It really does look great and compliments people's pots rather than detracting from them."

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