From labs to lives: R2D2's breakthrough devices empower the disabled

Chennai: M Jennifer, formerly a physical training teacher, was immobilized for about six years after a spinal cord injury from an accident in 2014. A decade later, she now rides a 4-km distance from her house in Velachery to workplace at the IIT-M Research Park without anyone’s help on her NeoBolt, an electric vehicle specially designed for wheelchair users.

NeoBolt is among six products primarily targeted at people with spinal cord injuries that have come out of the TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

These include YD One, the country’s lightest wheelchair; NeoStand; NeoFly; the NeoBolt; Arise, a manual standing wheelchair, Kadam (indigenously developed four-bar knee), and Pluto (a low-cost hand-neuro-rehabilitation device to restore hand functions).

These products are licensed through start-ups such as NeoMotion, Thryv Mobility, Phoenix Medical Systems, and Mobility India, which have launched these new-generation products in the market.

Launched in 2015 with support from the late T T Jagannathan of the TTK Group, R2D2 is currently working on eight devices for people with locomotor impairments, geriatric users, wheelchair users and they will be commercialized within three years. NeoBolt is also used by food delivery partners in Chennai and Bengaluru through a partnership with Zomato.

“I don’t depend on anyone to travel or go about my routine life. This vehicle has given me the freedom of mobility -- from being bedridden to a wheelchair user to now riding a vehicle on my own,” Jennifer said. She used her wheelchair to get a bottle of water for this DH correspondent at the National Center for Assistive Health Technologies (NCAT-IITM) here.

Jennifer is now an expert wheelchair peer trainer who trains people with disabilities in wheelchairs to navigate different terrains like villages and hilly areas equipping them with the right skills through intensive programs to live life fully. The NCAT-IITM is an experience centre for such people, where they can not only view the products but also try for themselves and see whether they will be comfortable.

Dr Manish Anand, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-M, told DH that one of the fundamental evolution in developing assistive devices is making prescription the standard criterion to ensure that devices are customized for individual users rather than mass-distributed generics.

“There were multiple challenges in getting these products to the needy in India, including wheelchairs being sold without any prescription. Also, the user is not the buyer. We are changing this through CSR dissemination, and we train and track the users long term, to ensure the end users benefit and continue to use the devices.” he added.

With a 50-member team of engineers, clinicians, bioengineers, and persons with disabilities as peer trainers and co-founders, the center has translated research into affordable, high-quality devices with an aim to democratize high quality assistive technology.

A key highlight of R2D2 is that the center integrates users into every step of the design journey from day one to ensure that the devices align precisely with their requirements, avoiding ill-suited products.

“The problem statements originate from their needs, not from engineers, and they participate in design discussions, translating requirements into technical parameters and prioritizing functionalities. This user-centric approach prevents mismatched priorities driven by engineering passion alone,” Anand added.

Custom modifications continue post-distribution through CSR partnerships, with long-term tracking for impact, the professor added.

Ashish Jebin, Lead (R&D), R2D2, told DH that their approach is to make designs user-centric by catering to what the user needs while identifying the problem statements.

He added that even if someone is paralyzed below the hip, the transfer-cum-mobility device , currently under development, provides an effective mobility solution. Primary users include the geriatric population, elderly citizens, and hospitals/clinics aiming to prevent falls and secondary injuries.

“Our approach ensures that whatever solution we create addresses the problem reliably. We don't just create something for the sake of it. We make it modular. Even if a person has already purchased a mechanical or push wheelchair, we convert it into an electric one through a clip-on device,” he said.

The engineers and designers consider the lifestyles of people and the cramped designs of Indian homes while developing products. “Our devices have a small footprint for cramped spaces like homes, schools, colleges, or offices. We are also working on devices for wheelchair users or trauma patients who cannot move from their bed,” Ashish said.

Dr Manish Anand, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-M, told DH that one of the fundamental evolution in developing assistive devices is making prescription the standard criterion to ensure that devices are customized for individual users rather than mass-distributed generics.

“There were multiple challenges in getting these products to the needy in India, including wheelchairs being sold without any prescription. Also, the user is not the buyer. We are changing this through CSR dissemination, and we train and track the users long term, to ensure the end users benefit and continue to use the devices.” he added.

With a 50-member team of engineers, clinicians, bioengineers, and persons with disabilities as peer trainers and co-founders, the center has translated research into affordable, high-quality devices with an aim to democratize high quality assistive technology.

A key highlight of R2D2 is that the center integrates users into every step of the design journey from day one to ensure that the devices align precisely with their requirements, avoiding ill-suited products.

“The problem statements originate from their needs, not from engineers, and they participate in design discussions, translating requirements into technical parameters and prioritizing functionalities. This user-centric approach prevents mismatched priorities driven by engineering passion alone,” Anand added.

Amenities inside the facility.

Custom modifications continue post-distribution through CSR partnerships, with long-term tracking for impact, the professor added.

Ashish Jebin, Lead (R&D), R2D2, told DH that their approach is to make designs user-centric by catering to what the user needs while identifying the problem statements.

He added that even if someone is paralyzed below the hip, the transfer-cum-mobility device , currently under development, provides an effective mobility solution. Primary users include the geriatric population, elderly citizens, and hospitals/clinics aiming to prevent falls and secondary injuries.

“Our approach ensures that whatever solution we create addresses the problem reliably. We don't just create something for the sake of it. We make it modular. Even if a person has already purchased a mechanical or push wheelchair, we convert it into an electric one through a clip-on device,” he said.

The engineers and designers consider the lifestyles of people and the cramped designs of Indian homes while developing products. “Our devices have a small footprint for cramped spaces like homes, schools, colleges, or offices. We are also working on devices for wheelchair users or trauma patients who cannot move from their bed,” Ashish said.