The Engineering College at the Coimbatore Institute of Technology (CIT), India, has reached an agreement to partner with a research institution of India’s Union Government to develop affordable, indigenous prostheses, according to the January 4 online issue of The Hindu.
CIT is undertaking the research because prostheses currently available in the market are beyond the financial reach of the average Indian consumer and because most currently available prostheses are more suited to U.S. consumers, according to CIT secretary R. Prabhakar.
A 50-member CIT faculty team from the mechanical, electrical, electronics, and chemical engineering departments, in addition to the departments of computer science, physics, and chemistry will collaborate with experts from the research institution on the project. Other researchers and undergraduate students will also play a role in the products’ development.
According to CIT Professor V. Selladurai, ME, PhD, a project principal, the team will have short- and long-term goals with deliverables made available at periodic intervals.
CIT will initially fund the project. In time, various alternate sources including the Union Government will be applied to as potential funders. The research is slated to take advantage of emerging areas of engineering.
