To help dogs that are paralysed waist-below to walk again, this 28-year-old has created an innovative design of a wheelchair. Currently pursuing architecture, Ramakrishna Rao tells us that his course helps him design mobility devices for animals that cannot walk without aid.
Representative image; Ramakrishna
Chennai:
Combining both these passions, he began making wheelcarts six years ago. “If an animal got injured and couldn’t move properly, even until a few years ago veterinarians would advise that the animal be euthanised. These days, people are trying to give such dogs a proper life. However, buying wheelcarts is a very expensive affair — that’s why I started experimenting with economic models,” he explains.
Back when he started, he would make carts with PVC pipes. “As the days went, I realised it isn’t a sustainable element. Eventually in my search for a cheap and sturdy element, I came across aluminium,” says Ramakrishna. The entire cart has been designed by him from scratch and he has applied for a patent. “One thing that people need to know about wheelcarts is that it can’t be put on the dog for long durations — it can be kept on for an hour at most to help the animal exercise and walk,” he says.
When asked how he creates a cart for a dog in need, he replies, “I ask for measurements like length, height and hip size of the animal to be sent to me. I tell everyone to measure at least three-four times to ensure the results are accurate.” Helping a dog walk again is a very rewarding experience, feels the youngster. “I remember fitting a rescued Indian dog named Johnny with wheels and he’s doing really well,” he sums up.
“Five years ago, I met with a near fatal accident because of which I couldn’t attend college for almost four years. This experience helped me understand animals better — it got me thinking of how I got medical help on time but animals can’t communicate. It made me aware of their pain a lot more,” says Ramakrishna. He adds, “I am in my final year of architecture and work in a studio as an intern. This provides me a lot of insight into design and modifying materials into stable 3D structures.”
Combining both these passions, he began making wheelcarts six years ago. “If an animal got injured and couldn’t move properly, even until a few years ago veterinarians would advise that the animal be euthanised. These days, people are trying to give such dogs a proper life. However, buying wheelcarts is a very expensive affair — that’s why I started experimenting with economic models,” he explains.
Back when he started, he would make carts with PVC pipes. “As the days went, I realised it isn’t a sustainable element. Eventually in my search for a cheap and sturdy element, I came across aluminium,” says Ramakrishna. The entire cart has been designed by him from scratch and he has applied for a patent. “One thing that people need to know about wheelcarts is that it can’t be put on the dog for long durations — it can be kept on for an hour at most to help the animal exercise and walk,” he says.
When asked how he creates a cart for a dog in need, he replies, “I ask for measurements like length, height and hip size of the animal to be sent to me. I tell everyone to measure at least three-four times to ensure the results are accurate.” Helping a dog walk again is a very rewarding experience, feels the youngster. “I remember fitting a rescued Indian dog named Johnny with wheels and he’s doing really well,” he sums up.