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.