Sunderarajan P
New Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-Madras) has launched a new centre in collaboration with the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), to promote research and development of rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and the elderly.
The centre – National Centre for Assistive Health Technologies, IIT Madras (NCAHT-IITM), will aim to foster increased social inclusion and enable immersive experience, underscoring the transformative power of assistive devices for users, policymakers, rehabilitation professionals, and innovators.
It will demonstrate the real-life challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and the elderly through various experience zones. Among other things, it will feature an innovation hub for user-centric design, a wheelchair skills lab, an open innovation portal, a policy research desk, and a dissemination centre. The TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at IIT, Madras will implement the initiative.
Addressing the inaugural event, Chief Guest Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research, and Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said, “The NCAHT-IITM will work as a platform for user-developer interactions facilitating the exchange of ideas, collaborations, and design of new assistive technologies”.
Dr. Ravinder Singh, Senior Scientist and Program Officer for Disability, Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology at ICMR headquarters, said, the centre will have linkages with manufacturing and also support other South-East Asian countries through teaching, training and evidence generation.
Presiding over the Event, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, noted that the Institute was committed to inclusive education, addressing both academic and social needs of people with physical challenges. “The experiential nature of the new centre will help take these efforts to the next level in terms of mobility and accessibility to resources.”
Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, President, IIT Madras Research Park, and IIT Madras Incubation Cell, said the new centre aligns with the IIT Madras Research Park’s 10X Assistive Technology Program to help startups develop devices, have users experience them and give feedback to improve the devices, and finally commercialise the technologies.
Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan, Head of R2D2-IIT Madras, and the new centre, said that the aim would be to show that while disability can be imposed by the environment, proper assistive technologies and training can help everyone to function effectively and live life to the fullest. We are fortunate that several partners have come on board already to support and realise the center’s vision. she added.
During the event, a new video programme developed in partnership with The Ganga Foundation was launched for wheelchair users —a set of self-training modules to empower wheelchair users to train/upskill themselves in wheelchair use and enhance their independence. These modules – categorised into beginner, intermediate and advanced – cover a range of topics, from wheelchair selection to negotiating stairs and difficult terrains. Regardless of location, users can access these modules at their convenience and learn at their own pace.
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