Latest news with #YDOne
Hans India
19-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
IIT Madras develops country's lightest wheelchair
Innovation is about a lightweight chat today. Lightweight wheelchair that has been taken from 17 kg to 8.5 kg. We have brought in about 50 per cent weight reduction. And we also got, significantly good number of research scholars plus, multiple disciplines, interdisciplinary work that has happened across mechanical, metallurgy, etc. We have used an interesting composite of carbon fibre plus aluminum together to reduce this. The World Health Organisation recently came up with data that nearly 15 per cent of the global population suffers from some form of disability currently and this number will only increase from current 1.3 to 1.9 billion at present to about 2.5 million by 2058. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras, announced the launch of YD One -- India's lightest active wheelchair and also the country's first indigenously developed precision-built monu-tube rigid-frame wheelchair. The YD One was launched in the IIT Madras campus on Wednesday in the presence of Chief Guest Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, Nau Sena Medal, Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces); V. Kamakoti, IIT Madras Director; Ravinder Singh, ICMR Scientist; Project Coordinator Manish Anand, Assistant Professor, IIT Madras. 'YD One is the country's first indigenously developed precision-built mono-tube rigid-frame wheelchair, designed to match the world's best,' an official statement said. YD One can be fully customised for each user's body, posture and daily mobility needs. Built as per international stardards, its ultra-lightweight and precision-engineered design delivers maximum strength and energy efficiency while making it effortless to lift, handle and stow in cars, autos or public transport. The YD One is also easy to carry with a weight measuring about only nine kg. According to V. Kamakoti, IIT Madras Director, 'Innovation is about a lightweight chat today. Lightweight wheelchair that has been taken from 17 kg to 8.5 kg. We have brought in about 50 per cent weight reduction. And we also got, significantly good number of research scholars plus, multiple disciplines, interdisciplinary work that has happened across mechanical, metallurgy, etc. We have used an interesting composite of carbon fibre plus aluminum together to reduce this.' Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, Nau Sena Medal recipient and Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces), said that the World Health Organisation recently came up with data that nearly 15 per cent of the global population suffers from some form of disability currently and this number will only increase from current 1.3 to 1.9 billion at present to about 2.5 million by 2058.
India Today
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- India Today
IIT Madras launches India's lightest active wheelchair
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) today announced the launch of YD One - India's lightest active wheelchair and the country's first indigenously developed precision-built mono-tube rigid-frame wheelchair, designed to match the world's best. Built to international standards, YD One is fully customised for each user's body, posture, and daily mobility needs. Weighing just 9 kilograms, its ultra-lightweight, precision-engineered design delivers maximum strength and energy efficiency while making it effortless to lift, handle, and stow in cars, autos, or public One was launched today (16th July 2025) in the IIT Madras campus in the presence of Chief Guest Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, Nau Sena Medal, Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces); Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras; Project Coordinator Dr. Manish Anand, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras; Dr. Ravinder Singh, Scientist, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); and other dignitaries and stakeholders. Across the world, the wheelchair is too often seen as a universal symbol of disability - something that confines or restricts its user. This narrative must change. A wheelchair, when built right, is not a burden but an enabler of independence, mobility, and full participation in for millions, the reality remains grim: most still rely on heavy, poorly fitted hospital-style wheelchairs designed for short-term indoor use. These chairs make it hard to move freely and force people to be pushed around by others - limiting comfort, freedom, and One transforms this reality. Built with precision-engineered geometry and aerospace-grade materials, it delivers the kind of high-performance, ultra-light mobility once only possible through expensive imports - but at a fraction of the cost. Minimalistic, stylish, and fully customised, YD One is not something users are bound to - it's something they are proud to own, a device that expands their world rather than shrinking it. Addressing the launch event, Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, Nau Sena Medal, Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces), said, "In IIT Madras, the innovations and the products that are coming are coming with a heart. They are for with everyday usage and are for people who need it the most. Let me assure you that your work does not need to stay in a lab or at a prototype stage. It has to come into the real world. The Armed Forces have just been sanctioned a Centre for Advanced Research by the ICMR. They are going to be collaborating with IIT Madras and other start-ups to do the final medical validation, practical usage and the safety certification of all the innovative products that are coming out of this ecosystem."advertisementDelivering an addressing on 'Enabling Independence,' Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur added, "Today, True independence means inclusion, dignity and self-reliance for each and every citizen of this country, regardless of their background, ability and circumstances. WHO has given a figure where they say that almost 15% of the global population suffers from some form of disability. In absolute numbers, this amounts to almost 1.3 to 1.9 billion and this number is going up. It is estimated that by 2058, this will be 2.5 billion, which is a huge number."Further, Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur said, "As we get close to 100 years post-independence, We need to reflect on a deeper and a more evolving meaning of Independence for us. Independence is not merely personal, it is social, economic and technological. It is the freedom of a visually-impaired student to navigate a campus independently. Its the independence of a stroke survivor to communicate with his or her loved ones. It is the right of a rural women to access digital health. And it is the power of a veteran amputee to walk unassisted, if possible. In the armed forces, we see this pursuit of independence not in theory but we see it happening in true cases every day."advertisementCongratulating the team behind YD One, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, "An inclusive society is fundamental for the prosperity of our country and technology should play a crucial role in ensuring the same. This is yet another demonstration of IIT Madras' commitment to this goal."Highlighting the vision behind this product, Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan, Head, TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development, IIT Madras, who pioneered this project, said, "10 years ago, when R2D2 was established, we set out to change the assistive device landscape in India through world-class products to meet Indian needs primarily. We have realised that our products are well-designed and provide unique advantages in global markets as well, and we are proud to work with our passionate startups (first NeoMotion, now Thryv Mobility) to provide affordable choices and freedom to wheelchair users everywhere with YD One and more products to come."To bring YD One to market, the research team partnered with Thryv Mobility, an IIT Madras-incubated startup that will manufacture the wheelchairs locally to global benchmarks, ensuring each chair is truly bespoke and affordable to users in India and emerging markets. advertisementIndustry Partner Dr. Rejin John Varghese, Co-Founder and Head, Research and Development, Thryv Mobility, said, "Together with IIT Madras, we aim to ensure these wheelchairs are manufactured indigenously to global standards and offered at a price point that makes high-performance mobility accessible to those who need it the most."Adding to this, Project Coordinator Dr. Manish Anand, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, "YD One marks a new milestone in our journey to address the need for world-class mobility solutions at affordable price points for the Indian and global markets. It emerged as a need from the users and was co-designed with inputs from users, caregivers and clinical professionals at every stage."YD One's launch is supported by Trimble CSR initiative, which is providing the first 20 wheelchairs to deserving users, while RRD and Schueco India have stepped forward to support future provisioning - helping ensure that high-quality, active mobility becomes an everyday reality for those who need it the most. - Ends
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
IIT Madras unveils new 8.5-kg wheelchair that enables independence
It weighs 8.5 kilograms, is minimalistic, and comes in 14 colours. IIT Madras' latest innovation is YD One, which it claims is India's lightest active rigid-frame wheelchair. Born out of the joint efforts of TTK Centre for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development and THRYV Mobility, a fully incubated startup within IIT Madras, the device was launched in Chennai on Wednesday (July 17, 2025). The device has a single frame made of aerospace-grade material. It can be fully customised and is available in sizes from 13 inches to 18 inches. So, what is so special about it? 'With the monoframe, minimalistic design, you slap 120 kg on it and make it run through two lakh cycles of double drum test, and then drop it for 6,666 times for drop test; the device cannot even have a small crack or scratch. That is precision engineering and innovative geometry,' Justin Jesudas, founder and CEO, THRYV Mobility, asserts. Most wheelchairs in the market were heavy and hospital grade, which were unfit for community use, he said. 'This was the reason why you find this population largely invisible, despite being high in numbers. We wanted to change this narrative,' said Mr. Justin, who is himself a wheelchair user for the past 15 years. Twenty beneficiaries, many of them para-athletes, were given YD One wheelchairs as part of a CSR initiative of Trimble, a Silicon valley-based industrial technology company. For the beneficiaries, it meant enabling bike travel, easier and longer journeys, greater portability, and manoeuvrability. Speaking about his experience with the struggles of soldiers injured and impaired in the line of duty at the launch, Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, Director General, Hospital Services (Armed Forces), said that freedom and independence meant different things to different people. 'Independence is not merely personal, it is social, economic, and technological. It is the freedom of a visually impaired student to navigate a campus independently; it is the ability of a stroke survivor to communicate with his or her loved ones; it is the right of a rural woman to access digital health; and it is the power of a veteran amputee to walk unassisted again if possible. In the armed forces, we see this pursuit of independence not just in theory, we see it happening everyday.' V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said that the device may appear simple but it required deep application of mathematics, physics, mechanical engineering, and material sciences to be built. IIT Madras' innovation push is symbolised by the 400-odd patents the institution filed in the past one year that were heavily deep tech and focused on solving the problems in society, he added. Ravinder Singh, scientist, Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), said that ICMR was instrumental in creating the National Centre for Assistive Health Technology at several institutions, including IIT Madras, enabling research and development in assistive technology. It plans to undertake more initiatives to promote and improve accessibility and affordability of assistive products through health systems in India. Manish Anand, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, who was the project coordinator, said that the device was co-designed with users and with inputs from clinicians as well.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Lighter IIT-M wheelchair costs 1/3rd of existing models
Chennai: A wheelchair developed by IIT Madras that is 50% lighter than similar existing models and costs one third of them was launched on Wednesday. Named YD One, after the late paraplegic rehabilitation advocate S Vaidyanathan, the wheelchair is made of aerospace-grade aluminium and can be customised to suit a user's body, posture, and daily mobility needs. Weighing 8.5kg, YD One was developed by engineers at the TTK Centre for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at IIT-M in collaboration with users and clinicians. It can support up to 120kg and is designed to be easy to lift, handle, and stow in cars, autos, or public transport. It can also be used by beginners taking up sports. The institute transferred the tech to Thryv Mobility, an IIT-M incubated startup, for commercial manufacturing. The wheelchair is expected to retail at under 75,000, nearly one-third the cost of similar wheelchairs in international markets. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Prof Sujatha Srinivasan, head of R2D2, said in a video message, "YD One is the seventh product from our centre. Our products offer unique advantages globally. We are proud to work with passionate startups to offer affordable choices." Justin Jesudas, co-founder of Thyrv Mobility, said the wheelchair features a mono-tube rigid frame with an ISO-specified load capacity of 120kg. It passed two lakh double drum test cycles and 6,666 drop tests. The wheelchair was unveiled by Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces), in the presence of IIT-M Director V Kamakoti. At present, many rely on heavy, poorly fitted hospital-style wheelchairs designed for short-term indoor use, often requiring assistance. Among the 20 early users present at the event was M Jennifer Sheeba, 38, a basketball and table tennis player. "Hospital-style wheelchairs limited my movement, and I often needed help to get around. With YD One, I can move independently; I can even climb stairs," she said.
NDTV
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Weighing At 8.5 Kg, IIT Madras Launches Lightest Active Wheelchair
New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras on Wednesday launched India's lightest active wheelchair -- YD One -- weighing just 8.5 kgs. YD One is also the country's first indigenously developed precision-built monu-tube rigid-frame wheelchair destined to match the world's best. While the current wheelchairs weigh about 17 kgs, YD One, certified by ISO, weighs just 8.5 kgs. "With YD One, we have achieved 50 per cent weight reduction," Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director IIT Madras, told reporters. "To reduce the weight, researchers and scholars from mechanical to metallurgy got together and built a very interesting composite of carbon fibre plus aluminum," he added, noting that the product has undergone a lot of modelling and stress tests. "It will be available in the market from tomorrow, and is priced at Rs 75,000," Kamakoti said. He noted that a similar 8.5 kg-weighing chair, if imported, will cost around Rs 2,40,000. Importantly, being lightweight, YD One will enable quick movement, quick rotation, and enable people with disabilities to effortlessly lift, handle, and stow in cars, autos, or public transport. YD One will also enable people with disabilities to participate in the Paralympics, the Director said. "I think YD One is going to become very important, and being low-cost, it has the potential to reach rural India," he added, noting that the government may also pitch it, paving the way for a wider reach. Citing the Cabinet's recent fund approved for research, development, and innovation (RDI), Kamakoti stressed the need for supporting startups. IIT Madras currently has 103 startups, and the institute aspires to launch 100 startups every year. "By 2032, we'll have 1,000 startups. I think we will be the most important beneficiary of the RDI scheme. I think Viksit Bharat by 2047, as our honourable Prime Minister says, is going to be a product nation. It's going to be a startup nation. We have to prepare ourselves for that and ensure we are in the right direction," Kamakoti said.
