IIT Madras researchers launch indigenously developed polycentric prosthetic knee

Kadam makes it possible for above-knee amputees to walk with a comfortable gait, an official statement said on Friday. It was developed by a team at the TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at the IIT, which also developed and commercialized Arise, – a standing wheelchair and NeoFly-NeoBolt: active wheelchair and motorized add-on for indoor-outdoor mobility.

R2D2 is involved in research related to human movement, and the design and development of rehabilitation and assistive devices for people with movement impairments. The Society for Biomedical Technology and Mobility India, which supported the development, was established under DRDO by former president A P J Abdul Kalam to enable indigenous medical device development. Mobility India, an NGO in Bengaluru, will mass-manufacture and take Kadam to the market along with overseeing the processes of fitment and training and ensuring easy access for the users.

Kadam was launched on the IIT Madras campus. Addressing the launch event virtually, Johny Tom Varghese, state commissioner for persons with disability, said, “What bridges the world of a differently abled person with that of others is technology. Kadam is one such innovation, along with other similarly path-breaking products that came out of R2D2 IIT Madras, which will make technology accessible and affordable.”