Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) researchers have launched India’s first indigenously developed Polycentric Prosthetic Knee, which aims to improve the quality of life for thousands of above-knee amputees. Called ‘Kadam,’ this ‘Made in India’ product is a polycentric knee for Above Knee Prosthesis developed in association with Society for Biomedical Technology (SBMT) and Mobility India.

Kadam makes it possible for above-knee amputees to walk with a comfortable gait. Not just mobility, it also aims to improve the quality of life of users through increased community participation, access to education, livelihood opportunities and overall well-being.

It was developed by a team at TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at IIT Madras, which also developed and commercialised ‘Arise,’ the country's first standing wheelchair and NeoFly-NeoBolt: active wheelchair and motorised add-on for seamless 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.