IIT-Madras develops India’s first indigenous motorized wheelchair vehicle

Chennai : The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has developed India’s first indigenous motorized wheelchair vehicle that can be used not only on roads, but even on uneven terrains.

Called ‘NeoBolt’, it has a maximum speed of 25 kmph and travels up to 25 km per charge.

It empowers wheelchair users with a convenient, safe and low-cost mode of outdoor mobility when compared to cars, autorickshaws or modified scooters, a release from IIT-M said today.

NeoBolt is powered by a Lithium-Ion Battery that will give 25 kms for every charge.

Throughout the development process, the IIT-M researchers collaborated extensively with organizations and hospitals working among people with locomotor disability and built the products factoring in their experiences and making constant design adjustments.

NeoBolt was developed by a team led by Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-Madras, and has been commercialized through a startup called ‘NeoMotion.’

The Startup has been co-founded by Prof.Sujatha Srinivasan and an IIT-Madras Alumnus Swostik Sourav Dash, who is the CEO of NeoMotion.

Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan also led the team that developed India’s first indigenously-designed Standing Wheelchair called ‘Arise,’ which enables a wheelchair user to shift from sitting to standing position.

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