The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has revealed a progressive piece of work by researchers coming together to create a prosthetic leg designated for the Indian sub-terrain. The prosthetic has been designed especially for roads that are not uniformly spread and for activities associated with the Indian tradition of cross-legged sitting or deep squatting. The leg can be customised to fit an individual of any age or size. These legs are available in three majorly sustainable materials, stainless steel, polymers and aluminium alloys.
As per the statement by IIT Guwahati, “This research was funded by the Ministry of Education, Government of India and the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. IIT Guwahati researchers collaborated with 151 Army Base Hospital, Guwahati; Tolaram Bafna Kamrup District Civil Hospital, Guwahati; Guwahati Neurological Research Centre (GNRC), North Guwahati; and North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGHRIMS), Shillong.”
Prof. S Kanagaraj of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, has proudly led a capable team to this enigmatic discovery. Presently all the prototypes designed during the research are going through rigorous trials.
While emphasising the primary points of their research, Prof. S Kanagaraj, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Guwahati narrated, “The knee joint developed by our team has a spring-assisted deep squat mechanism, which helps to use Indian toilet system more comfortably; the knee rotating mechanism helps to have cross-legged sitting; the locking mechanism helps to reduce the fear of falling of patients while walking in unknown terrain; adjustable link length in a knee helps to have either more stability or easy flexing depending on age and requirement of the patients. Overall, the knee joint is designed to meet the Indian lifestyle which other products fail to fulfil.”
To add to the Professors’ speech, IIT Guwahati added, “Highly functional mobility for amputees requires devices with advanced features which are expansive and cannot be afforded by many. Further, affordable prosthetics that are available in the market have many functional limitations. In addition, the Indian lifestyle and uneven terrain require prosthetics with specifications unique to India, which are not widely available in the market.”
Moreover, IIT Guwahati stated that the prosthetic leg has undergone a test with a maximum body-load capacity of 100 kg, according to international standards. The weight of the prosthetic leg has been lowered substantially with the use of compatible polymers, stainless steel and aluminium alloy for the production of different auxiliary items. Aluminium has the good properties of having negligible weight and being corrosion resistant.
Previously in April this year, IIT Madras had introduced India’s first-ever aluminium alloy or stainless steel prosthetic leg, Kadam. With this additional discovery, IIT proves that they are not only concerned about sustainability but also how the world progresses to be a better place for human beings of all kinds.
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