Physically challenged people may soon be able to buy easy mobility
when a low-cost electric wheelchair is launched, doctors here Thursday
said.
"In India, there has always been a tremendous need for an affordable and
well designed electric power wheelchair to cater to the needy," Nekram
Upadhyay, head of the department, assistive technology, at Indian Spinal
Injuries Centre (ISIC), said in a statement.
According to ISIC, a normal powered wheelchair may cost between
Rs.60,000 to Rs.10,50,000, the new low-cost electric wheelchair is said
to reduce the price by half.
The Single Motor Propelled Wheelchair (SiMPl-WC) will be jointly
developed by the department of assistive technology, ISIC and the Human
Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), University of Pittsburgh.
"The objective is not only to develop a low-cost electric wheelchair,
but to develop one technically best suited for Indian environment,
whether urban or rural," said H.S Chhabra, chief of spine services,
ISIC.
The project is funded by the department of biotechnology, Ministry of
Science and Technology and the National Institute for Health.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 65 million wheelchairs are needed globally.
Source : Business Standard , 2nd May 2013
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