Students from Indore developed Powered Exoskeleton Walking Assist Device enabling paraplegics to Walk
With their prototype of Powered Exoskeleton Walking Assist Device ready, a group of 23-year-old mechanical engineering students from Indore are hopeful of enabling paraplegics to take a walk and experience a normal life. Being pioneering in the field in India with their prototype, the students will soon secure a patent right and will take it into a full-fledged project if funded.
Sharing how he came across the idea, Shobhit Kumar Das, one of the ideators, said, “My friend (Somesh) often talked about his grandfather, who was paraplegics and needed help in every routine task from taking bath to getting around.”
With the task of making a project for their engineering evaluation and the difficulties faced by Somesh’s grandfather, they kept pondering over possibilities of solving both the issues. “We came across possibilities of exoskeletons, which are available at price over $40,000 abroad, which makes them non-feasible for even their own citizens.”
Understanding the concept, students decided to innovate their own exoskeleton powered by battery as a prototype for their project and easing grandfather’s life. “Sadly, before we could complete development, he passed away, but we could see so many other people, who could use this device,” Uday Gaikwad, project representative, said.
The first struggle faced by the students was declaring a new idea for their project work. “Normally, we have a list of ideas that we can work on, but since, we had a new idea, it was entirely our mind-set with no major guidance or samples,” Karan Kotwani, project coordinator, said.
The main part of the exoskeleton is ‘Gear Box’ that powers the system to help a person in movements. “The first gear box we prepared was too powerful and bended the shaft,” Manish Rawal, developer, said.
Working to reduce the power, they developed a lesser powerful gearbox. “It could not pick up the weight of the shaft, so we had to revise again,” Aaditya Prakash Rai said. Finally, in the third go, it worked leaving barely anytime for them to assemble and present the project.
Nailing the device together, they successful completed the project and had a dream of reforming this into a robotic device that helps paraplegics at an economic price all over the world.
They have applied for funding from Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya and if approved, they intend to add programming to the device, reduce its weight, add more circuits and provide a comfortable and affordable walk for all the paraplegics.
The prototype developed by students cost Rs 20,000 and with modifications and up-gradation can be made available in the market at Rs 50,000.
Talking about the future possibilities, designers Ayush Kasbi, and Arpit Sharma said, “There are possibilities of applying this technology in military and industrial works, which would save human lives from being risked extreme temperatures and machinery.”
Sharing how he came across the idea, Shobhit Kumar Das, one of the ideators, said, “My friend (Somesh) often talked about his grandfather, who was paraplegics and needed help in every routine task from taking bath to getting around.”
With the task of making a project for their engineering evaluation and the difficulties faced by Somesh’s grandfather, they kept pondering over possibilities of solving both the issues. “We came across possibilities of exoskeletons, which are available at price over $40,000 abroad, which makes them non-feasible for even their own citizens.”
Understanding the concept, students decided to innovate their own exoskeleton powered by battery as a prototype for their project and easing grandfather’s life. “Sadly, before we could complete development, he passed away, but we could see so many other people, who could use this device,” Uday Gaikwad, project representative, said.
The first struggle faced by the students was declaring a new idea for their project work. “Normally, we have a list of ideas that we can work on, but since, we had a new idea, it was entirely our mind-set with no major guidance or samples,” Karan Kotwani, project coordinator, said.
The main part of the exoskeleton is ‘Gear Box’ that powers the system to help a person in movements. “The first gear box we prepared was too powerful and bended the shaft,” Manish Rawal, developer, said.
Working to reduce the power, they developed a lesser powerful gearbox. “It could not pick up the weight of the shaft, so we had to revise again,” Aaditya Prakash Rai said. Finally, in the third go, it worked leaving barely anytime for them to assemble and present the project.
Nailing the device together, they successful completed the project and had a dream of reforming this into a robotic device that helps paraplegics at an economic price all over the world.
They have applied for funding from Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya and if approved, they intend to add programming to the device, reduce its weight, add more circuits and provide a comfortable and affordable walk for all the paraplegics.
The prototype developed by students cost Rs 20,000 and with modifications and up-gradation can be made available in the market at Rs 50,000.
Talking about the future possibilities, designers Ayush Kasbi, and Arpit Sharma said, “There are possibilities of applying this technology in military and industrial works, which would save human lives from being risked extreme temperatures and machinery.”
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