IIT-Madras develops nation’s first standing wheelchair
At present, wheelchairs with similar features are being imported from other countries for about 10 times the price.
Chennai: Adding yet another feather to their cap, researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras in collaboration with Phoenix Medical Systems and with the support of the UK-based Wellcome Trust, have launched the nation’s first indigenously designed ‘Standing Wheelchair’.
The wheelchair named ‘Arise’ was officially launched on Tuesday in the presence of Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union minister for social justice and empowerment. ‘Arise’ will not only enable differently-abled people dependent on wheelchair shift from sitting to standing position, and vice versa independently but is also priced at a modest Rs 15,000, thus being affordable to a wide range of people. At present, wheelchairs with similar features are being imported from other countries for about 10 times the price.
Designed in three stages, the early prototype, which was tested by able-bodied people focused on reducing the effort expended by the user to actuate it from the sitting to standing position and vice versa. This was achieved by using a gas-spring prototype. In the final stage, ‘Arise’ was tested by more than 50 people with spinal injuries. The test feedback was mostly positive with people pointing out that the wheelchair was stable even in outdoor use in rural areas and on uneven terrain.
Speaking at the event, the highly impressed minister Thaawarchand Gehlot remarked that he has not come across a standing wheelchair as efficient and cost-effective as the one developed by the IIT-M researchers. He also expressed his ministry’s interest in collaborating with the institute for future projects.
‘Arise’ also comes with safety features and adjustable dimensions to suit the needs of the users. “One safety feature of Arise is the interlocking mechanism, which ensures that the wheelchair remains in a locked state if the knee block is not in position.”, said Mr Sashi Kumar, MD, Phoenix Medical Systems.
R2D2 cell at IIT-M which developed the wheelchair will now work towards creating awareness about the “product’s suitability, availability, and necessary fitting and training”, said Sujatha Srinivasan, head, R2D2, IIT Madras.