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.

In Gratitude and Remembrance: Mr T.T. Jagannathan

“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.

—

TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2)

Indian Institute of Technology Madras