R2D2 is the TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development at IIT Madras, headed by Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The group is involved in research related to human movement and the design and development of rehabilitation and assistive technologies (AT) / devices for people with movement impairments.
R2D2 engineers affordable products for rehabilitation needs in India and beyond, works with clinical specialists, NGOs, hospitals, etc., to field-test the designs, and fosters a research environment to evaluate assistive technologies from biomechanical and functional standpoints.
Using appropriate technology, scientific methods, and innovative translational models, R2D2 aims to enable easy accessibility and affordability of assistive devices and rehabilitation resources. R2D2 has successfully transferred technology to like-minded industrial partners, including its startup, NeoMotion.
Patron of R2D2 and Pioneer of Purposeful Giving
It is with deep sorrow and profound respect that we at the TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2), IIT Madras, mourn the passing of Mr T.T. Jagannathan, Chairman of TTK Prestige.
More than a philanthropist, Mr Jagannathan was a visionary who believed in the transformative power of science and engineering to change lives. R2D2 exists today because of that belief.
In 2015, when assistive technology was still a nascent field in India, Mr Jagannathan took a bold step—he chose to back not just an idea, but a vision of inclusion, dignity, and independence for persons with disabilities. His support through the TTK Group CSR initiative enabled the creation of R2D2 at IIT Madras, one of India’s first and most advanced research centers dedicated to rehabilitation and assistive devices.
“He was the first to believe. He didn’t ask for projections. He asked, ‘Will it help people?’ And when we said yes, he said, ‘Then let’s make it happen.’”
— Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan, Head of R2D2
Over the past decade, R2D2 has grown into a nationally and internationally recognised centre of excellence. Products like the NeoFly, NeoBolt, KADAM prosthetic knee, Arise and NeoStand standing wheelchairs, PLUTO neuro-rehab robot and YD One, India’s lightest active wheelchair, have their roots in the seed funding that Mr Jagannathan made possible.
But his contribution was more than financial. He gave us the freedom to explore. The courage to take risks. The space to put users first through top-class engineering. In every milestone we’ve reached, his generosity and trust have been present.
Mr Jagannathan’s legacy is not just in the thousands of kitchens transformed by TTK Prestige but in the thousands of lives uplifted through mobility, independence, and restored dignity made possible by the innovations his patronage enabled.
On behalf of every engineer, clinician, student, and user whose lives have been touched through R2D2, we offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and the TTK Group. We remain committed to advancing the work he believed in, with the same integrity, purpose, and compassion that defined his life.
May his soul rest in peace.
May his vision continue to move us forward.
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TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2)
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
The wheelchair skills program aims to educate users in choosing suitable devices, appropriate usage, and troubleshooting using local resources. If you are interested or know anyone who might be interested in joining our wheelchair skills training program,
National Center for Assistive Health Technologies, IIT Madras (NCAHT-IITM), an initiative of the ICMR co-developed with IITMRP's 10X AT Program.