In what can be termed as a major upgrade in transport for people with disabilities, the Chennai-based Indian Institute of Technology – Madras (IIT M) has developed India’s first motorised wheelchair which is expected to reduce the challenges of mobility.

Named as ‘NeoBolt’, the vehicle is developed by a team led by Sujatha Srinivasan, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, and has been commercialised by a startup called ‘NeoMotion.’ The startup has been co-founded by Srinivasan and an IIT Madras Alumnus Swostik Sourav Dash, who presently serves as the CEO of NeoMotion.

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Neobolt has a maximum speed of 25 kilometres per hour and is powered by a chargeable battery. It travels up to 25 kms per charge. “It empowers wheelchair users with a convenient, safe and low-cost mode of outdoor mobility when compared to cars, auto rickshaws or modified scooters,” the press statement informed.

As per the company’s estimates, around 300,000 wheelchairs are sold in India in a year and around 83 per cent of these are imported.

The Neobolt add-on is attachable to a wheelchair by the same brand which is named as ‘NeoFly’.

“Nearly 95 percent of all wheelchairs sold in India are ‘one-size-fits-all,’ which restricts mobility, damages health, and lowers self-confidence. ‘NeoFly’ and ‘NeoBolt’ developed by the IIT Madras Team are intended at addressing these issues,” the statement noted.

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The Neofly personalised wheelchair is available at a cost of Rs 39,900 and the Neobolt motorised add-on is available for another Rs 55,000.

“NeoFly is the first Indian Wheelchair that is customised to the user. It is built to provide comfort, efficient propulsion, higher manoeuvrability and superior ergonomics,” Srinivasan was quoted.

“The motor-powered attachment, NeoBolt converts NeoFly into a safe, road-worthy vehicle that can navigate any kind of terrain that we may normally encounter – drive through unpaved streets or climb a steep gradient. And do this comfortably as it has suspensions to absorb the shocks,” she added.