The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras unveiled YD One, the country’s lightest active wheelchair, today, Wednesday, July 16, weighing only 8.5 kg. Designed to rival global standards, YD One is also India’s first indigenously developed, precision-built mono-tube rigid-frame wheelchair.
While conventional active wheelchairs weigh around 17 kg, YD One has halved that. “With YD One, we have achieved 50 per cent weight reduction,” said Prof V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, while speaking to reporters. The lightweight design has been ISO certified, reported NDTV.
Explaining the development process, Kamakoti added, “To reduce the weight, researchers and scholars from mechanical to metallurgy got together and built a very interesting composite of carbon fibre plus aluminium.” The product, he noted, has undergone extensive modelling and stress testing.
YD One will be available for purchase starting tomorrow, priced at Rs 75,000. “It will be available in the market from tomorrow, and is priced at Rs 75,000,” he confirmed. He also pointed out the stark price contrast with similar imported models: “A similar 8.5 kg-weighing chair, if imported, will cost around Rs 2,40,000.”
Being ultra-lightweight, YD One is expected to significantly ease mobility. “It will enable quick movement, quick rotation, and enable people with disabilities to effortlessly lift, handle, and stow in cars, autos, or public transport,” Kamakoti explained.
He also highlighted its potential impact in sports and accessibility: “YD One will also enable people with disabilities to participate in the Paralympics.”
Looking ahead, Kamakoti emphasised the product’s transformative potential for rural India. “I think YD One is going to become very important, and being low-cost, it has the potential to reach rural India,” he said. He further added that government support could help take the innovation to a wider audience.
Referring to the Cabinet’s recently approved funds for Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI), Kamakoti underscored the need for encouraging start-ups. IIT Madras, currently nurturing 103 start-ups, is aiming to launch 100 new start-ups every year.
“By 2032, we'll have 1,000 start-ups. I think we will be the most important beneficiary of the RDI scheme. I think Viksit Bharat by 2047, as our honourable Prime Minister says, is going to be a product nation. It's going to be a startup nation. We have to prepare ourselves for that and ensure we are in the right direction,” he concluded.
