<p>Combining robotics with artificial intelligence (AI), an Indian health tech startup has developed an exoskeleton used as a robotic arm/leg for paraplegic patients.</p>.<p>Arguably the first in the country, the indigenously designed device could be a potential alternative to the expensive products sourced from abroad.</p>.<p>The startup, GenElek Technologies, was chosen to represent India at the Powered Exoskeleton Race at Cybathlon 2020 in Zurich before the Covid-19 outbreak forced a reschedule. Two former Indian Army paraplegic soldiers from the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PRC), Mohali, were to wear the robotic gear and compete with 17 other international teams.</p>.<p>Exoskeletons (externally worn robotic support system) make it possible for people with neurological conditions such as paralysis, stroke and spinal cord injury to walk or move better. GenElek’s model was to customise its design and tailor it to individual needs, the startup’s founder John Ignatius Kujur told DH.</p>.<p>So, how does it incorporate artificial intelligence? The data is collected in real time, interpreted and relayed by AI to the cloud. It gets processed in real time by a medical expert monitoring the patient’s treatment.</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Not for amputees</strong></p>.<p>The device is not for amputees, John explained. “The active powered exoskeleton is strapped on to the paralysed arms and legs, helping the person to stand up from a wheelchair without external support. It helps him/her to sit, stand without dependency and walk. With training, they can even climb stairs.”</p>.<p>The startup has tied up with several medical institutions to get the device customisation going for interested patients. “We give two weeks' training to the person using it. So far, we have tried the device on eight people. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the national regulatory body for medical devices, has approved its manufacture.”</p>.<p>An instrumentation control engineer, John had first conceptualised the device as a final year project at his engineering college. “My inspiration was a friend who suffered from reduced muscular ability. He was part of the early stage of the device’s development,” he recalled.</p>.<p>At PRC, when the device was first tried on the two soldiers, there was a lot of apprehension. They were wheelchair-bound for a long time, and earlier attempts to get them mobile had failed. “By the third trial with our robotic gear, they could stand up without anyone’s help. It was a big moment for the 36-year-old, who had suffered lower body paralysis in battle.”</p>
<p>Combining robotics with artificial intelligence (AI), an Indian health tech startup has developed an exoskeleton used as a robotic arm/leg for paraplegic patients.</p>.<p>Arguably the first in the country, the indigenously designed device could be a potential alternative to the expensive products sourced from abroad.</p>.<p>The startup, GenElek Technologies, was chosen to represent India at the Powered Exoskeleton Race at Cybathlon 2020 in Zurich before the Covid-19 outbreak forced a reschedule. Two former Indian Army paraplegic soldiers from the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PRC), Mohali, were to wear the robotic gear and compete with 17 other international teams.</p>.<p>Exoskeletons (externally worn robotic support system) make it possible for people with neurological conditions such as paralysis, stroke and spinal cord injury to walk or move better. GenElek’s model was to customise its design and tailor it to individual needs, the startup’s founder John Ignatius Kujur told DH.</p>.<p>So, how does it incorporate artificial intelligence? The data is collected in real time, interpreted and relayed by AI to the cloud. It gets processed in real time by a medical expert monitoring the patient’s treatment.</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Not for amputees</strong></p>.<p>The device is not for amputees, John explained. “The active powered exoskeleton is strapped on to the paralysed arms and legs, helping the person to stand up from a wheelchair without external support. It helps him/her to sit, stand without dependency and walk. With training, they can even climb stairs.”</p>.<p>The startup has tied up with several medical institutions to get the device customisation going for interested patients. “We give two weeks' training to the person using it. So far, we have tried the device on eight people. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the national regulatory body for medical devices, has approved its manufacture.”</p>.<p>An instrumentation control engineer, John had first conceptualised the device as a final year project at his engineering college. “My inspiration was a friend who suffered from reduced muscular ability. He was part of the early stage of the device’s development,” he recalled.</p>.<p>At PRC, when the device was first tried on the two soldiers, there was a lot of apprehension. They were wheelchair-bound for a long time, and earlier attempts to get them mobile had failed. “By the third trial with our robotic gear, they could stand up without anyone’s help. It was a big moment for the 36-year-old, who had suffered lower body paralysis in battle.”</p>
