IIT engineers make Standing Wheelchair ‘Arise’ | Fusion - WeRIndia

Wheelchairs help differently-abled people to move from one place to another, but they have other health issues like skin sores due to constant sitting.

Only specific tasks can be done with normal wheelchairs.

A team of engineers and researchers at IIT Madras created India’s first standing wheelchair, Arise in association with Pheonix Medical Systems.

This wheelchair was designed indigenously by the TTK Centre for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development at IIT Madras. However, Wellcome Trust, UK helped commercialize the design of the wheelchair.

They both worked together to create the design and brought it to the market for mass production.

The mass production helps reach many users and bring down the cost.

The standing wheelchair can aid differently-abled people to perform their daily activities.

It can also help prevent health issues like skin sores, poor blood circulation etc. associated with constant sitting.

The standing wheelchair is priced at around ₹15,000.

The wheelchair has safety features of the interlocking mechanism to lock it in place when the knee block is not in the position. This provides extra safety for the users.

This modular wheelchair is fit for different sizes.

Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment appreciated the design saying that the standing wheelchair is unique.

He said that he had not seen such a good design anywhere in the world. He congratulated the engineers of IIT Madras and its partners for creating a multi-purpose and unique design.

He added that the design is cost-effective and improves the confidence of the users by promoting their overall wellbeing.

Impressed by the design and the work of the researchers, the minister assured the centre to cooperate with its plans and try to offer the wheelchairs to the people in need through the ministry and CSR funds.

Image Reference: Indiatimes