IIT-M, Motion Technology Developing Medical Innovation Using Robotics

Chennai, Mar 4: The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) is collaborating with the Motion Technology Firm Portescap to develop medical innovation using Robotics for rehabilitation. This CSR Project also involves premier medical institution Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, a release from IIT-M said today. This project, facilitated by the Office of Institutional Advancement, IIT-M, will focus on creating an innovative rehabilitation robot – AREBO (Arm Rehabilitation Robot) – for people with arm impairments.

AREBO is a six-degrees-of-freedom robot for training individual joint movements at the shoulder and elbow for persons with neurological and musculoskeletal conditions such as stroke, arthritis, cerebral palsy, and Parkinson’s disease, among others. The design of this robot allows it to be easily connected to either the left or right arm of a user, and provides safe training of the arm. Led by Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan, Faculty Head, TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2), IIT Madras, and Prof. Sivakumar Balasubramanian, CMC Vellore, such innovations significantly improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities.

They also serve as a tool for therapists to remotely monitor performance and plan therapy accordingly. Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan said the project leverages the strengths of R2D2 in developing and taking to market, functional and affordable devices for movement disability, while also drawing from the bioengineering and clinical expertise of CMC. The R and D costs covered through CSR support are crucial to achieve the eventual goal of taking high quality devices to the market at affordable prices.”