Bengaluru: A cross between a wheelchair and a bicycle, velcro attachments for the hand, and a flexible, prosthetic foot good for uneven terrain were among the innovations that caught the most eye-balls at the first-ever "Enable Makeathon" by the Red Cross.
The idea was to generate low cost aids for people with disabilities, especially in rural India.
The Red Cross and its partner institutes had given 60 days' time and funding to mentor ideas that can help people with locomotor disabilities, said Tarun Sarwam, head of innovation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Mohan Sundaram, trustee of the Association of People with Disabilities who is also a wheelchair user, told NDTV, "The designs should be usable in rural India, serviceable in rural India and should be low cost."
Over the weekend, 18 prototypes of these potentially life-enhancing devices were unveiled in Bengaluru.
The fusion between a bicycle and wheelchair is expected to change the way wheelchair-bound people move outdoors. With the wheelchair connecting to what looks like the front end of a bicycle, the machine can be controlled by hand.
"Generally, wheelchairs available in our country are only meant for indoor purpose. Out of doors, they perform very badly," said Ashish, one of the designers who is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
With the attachment they have invented, it can function as an outdoor device, he said. And the most unique bit about the device, he said, is that "it can be added on to any wheelchair".
The cost, he said, will be less than Rs 10,000. "We are using all standard parts, a bicycle in some form, so it makes it cost effective," he added.
Nekram Upadhyay of the Indian Spinal Injury Centre of New Delhi had developed a wrist attachment for those who have a problem with hand movements. The attachment, made from Velcro, could help a person use a toothbrush, a pen or drink from a glass.
Mr Upadhyay believes it could be sold for Rs 3,000 or less.
The next step would be to attract funding for the best prototypes so the innovative products can be mass-produced.
The idea was to generate low cost aids for people with disabilities, especially in rural India.
The Red Cross and its partner institutes had given 60 days' time and funding to mentor ideas that can help people with locomotor disabilities, said Tarun Sarwam, head of innovation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Over the weekend, 18 prototypes of these potentially life-enhancing devices were unveiled in Bengaluru.
Advertisement
"Generally, wheelchairs available in our country are only meant for indoor purpose. Out of doors, they perform very badly," said Ashish, one of the designers who is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
Advertisement
The cost, he said, will be less than Rs 10,000. "We are using all standard parts, a bicycle in some form, so it makes it cost effective," he added.
Advertisement
Mr Upadhyay believes it could be sold for Rs 3,000 or less.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
NIA Probes Blast That Killed 1, Turns Out To Be Cooker Making Khichdi Tech Professional Goes Missing In Bengaluru, Wife Pleads For Help On Social Media "Not Okay": Entrepreneur Slams Bengaluru Airport For Unsanitary Practice 2 French Rafale Jets Collide Mid-Air, Instructor, Pilot Missing Tear Gas Fired After Kolkata Protest Against Doctor's Rape-Murder Turns Violent "Pivotal Moment": Key Doctor Body Resumes Strike 2 Days After Calling It Off Monkeypox Virus Killed 548 People In This Nation Since Start Of 2024 Tiger Attacks 5 After Escaping From Rajasthan's Sariska Tiger Reserve This US City Has Been Declared America's Least Desirable, Survey Finds Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.