The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has launched the National Centre for Assistive Health Technologies (NCAHT), an initiative of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), to boost research and development in assistive technologies (AT), focusing on rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and the elderly.

The TTK Centre for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) is implementing this initiative at IIT-M. NCAHT will be a showcase centre that enables R&D in assistive technologies. It envisages user empowerment by showing the possibilities through technology, minimising unconscious bias in the minds of engineers/assistive technology developers, policymakers, general public and paving the way for better AT solutions and policies.

Co-developed with IIT-M Research Park’s ‘10X Assistive Technology Programme,’ NCAHT is designed to foster increased social inclusion and serves as an immersive experience centre, underscoring the transformative power of assistive devices for users, policymakers, rehabilitation professionals, and innovators.

NCAHT will demonstrate the real-life challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and the elderly through various experience zones. Additionally, NCAHT features an Innovation Hub for User-centric Design, a Wheelchair Skills Lab, an Open Innovation Portal, a Policy Research Desk, and a Dissemination Centre, all aimed at cultivating an assistive technology ecosystem that complements the research, design, and development efforts at R2D2.