Head

Dr. Sujatha Srinivasan

Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
IIT Madras
  +91-44-2257 5695/4728
email: sujsree@iitm.ac.in

PhD, Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2007
MS, Mechanical Engineering, The University of Toledo, 1994
B.Tech, Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, 

Sujatha Srinivasan is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and heads the TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) and the National Center for Assistive Health Technologies (NCAHT) at IIT Madras. Her research focuses on applying mechanism design and movement biomechanics to develop functional and affordable assistive technologies (AT) and rehabilitation devices for people with movement disabilities.

Prof. Sujatha has over 30 years of experience in her field, including several years in the US industry. She is a 1992 alumna of IIT Madras and joined its faculty in 2008. She is also co-founder of NeoMotion and Thryv Mobility, startups on assistive devices incubated at IIT Madras. In her free time, she likes tailoring, going for walks and spending time with her family.

Associated Faculty

Dr. Manish Anand

Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras


Dr. Sivakumar Balasubramanian

Professor, Department of Bioengineering, CMC Vellore

Dr. Sourav Rakshit

Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras


Dr. Sundararajan Natarajan

Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras

Leadership Team

Justin Vijay Jesudas
Head of operations/Centre Manager, R2D2

Justin Jesudas joins us with over two decades of corporate experience in research and analytics across banking and engineering services industries with companies like UBS, RR Donnelley and Cognizant. 

Justin heads the operations and outreach activities of R2D2,  apart from guiding the team on user perspectives, prototype refining and device commercialisation

With 11 years of lived experience as a tetraplegic (paralysed neck downwards), working in the assistive technologies space was a natural calling for Justin. 

He is an international swimming champion and has represented India at the World Swimming Championship and Para-Asian Games. He enjoys long drives in his modified hand-operated car, beach surfing and SCUBA diving. 

Contact: justin@r2d2.iitm.ac.in

  +91-44-2257 5695

Samson Daniel
Head of operations/Centre Manager, NCAHT

Samson has been an occupational therapist by education and a former tutor and clinical occupational therapist at the Rehabilitation Institute, CMC Vellore, for eight years. At R2D2, Samson oversees the partner dissemination program for Arise Standing Wheelchair and research for TouchFREEDOM, among other projects. He has developed wheelchair cushions, now part of IIT Madras and incubated NeoMotion’s product portfolio. 

A combination of upbringing in a service-minded family, interest in DIY projects and passion for restoring hand functions of persons with such a need pushed him to a space many therapists overlook - assistive technologies. 

He lives in Chennai with his parents and sister. He loves photography, cooking and long rides on his motorcycle.

Post-doctoral Researchers

Dr. T M Balaramakrishnan

T M Balaramakrishnan is a research engineer based in Chennai interested in biomechanics, finite element analysis and product design. 

An alumnus of the National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli and Indian Institute of Technology Madras, his doctoral thesis involved the proposition of a novel design framework for prosthetic feet using non-linear finite element analysis. He is presently implementing the developed framework towards designing a series of highly functional and affordable prosthetic feet. 

Besides being a researcher, he is a learning musician and a photographer.

Dr. Ann David

Ann David is a postdoctoral researcher. She completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Devices and Technology through the joint Ph.D. programme conducted by IIT Madras, CMC Vellore and SCTIMST Trivandrum. Her Ph.D. thesis was on understanding the asymmetry in arm use among stroke patients with one-side weakness. She completed her master's in bioengineering from CMC Vellore and bachelor's in electronics and communication engineering from Govt. Model Engineering College, Kerala. 

Having worked closely with patients and clinicians for the past ten years, her research interests are in developing affordable and easy-to-use technological solutions. She also has an interest in computational neurorehabilitation. She enjoys exploring new places and music.

Dr. Aravind Nehrujee

Aravind is a PhD scholar in a joint program between IIT Madras and CMC Vellore; his research is focused on developing a robot for assessing and training hand functions.  He did his undergrad in Mechanical Engineering from VIT University Vellore and his Masters in Bioengineering from CMC Vellore. His research interests include rehabilitation engineering, serious games, and neuromechanics. 

Being a high school basketball player undergoing multiple ACL reconstruction surgeries has pushed him towards rehabilitation engineering. His personal experiences and professional experiences of working with patients motivate him to develop accessible and affordable tools for rehabilitation. Aravind enjoys his weekend bicycle rides and spends his free time reading non-fiction books and rock tumbling.

Dr. Ritwika Choudhuri

Ritwika Choudhuri is an IIT Madras - CMC Vellore joint postdoctoral fellow. She completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from IIT Bombay. She received her B.Tech. Degree in Instrumentation and Control Engineering and M.Tech. Degree in Applied Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering from West Bengal University of Technology. Before starting to pursue Ph.D., she worked as a faculty for 1.5 years in the Department of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering of the National Institute of Science and Technology, Orissa. 

Her Ph.D. thesis was focused on understanding the neural drive underlying dynamic postural control mechanisms in humans. Her current research interests lie in movement neuroscience and rehabilitation technology. She has always had a keen interest in learning and exploring applications of engineering concepts in the medical field.  She prefers to expand her knowledge in multidisciplinary domains such as medical instrumentation, medical sensors, biosignal processing, man-machine interface, etc.  As she likes working in the medical-engineering field, she continues her research in neurorehabilitation technologies- the development, application, role, and implications of robotic assistance for upper and lower limb rehabilitation.

She loves to do trekking and camping in her leisure time.

Engineering Team

Rahul Bhamare

As a Senior Engineer at R2D2, Rahul has worked on various projects such as the Saathi WalkChair, Gait trainer, Electric Standing Wheelchair, CP chair, customisable back brace, scoliosis correction brace and ankle therapy device. 

After completing a Master's in Design Engineering at IIT, Delhi, his search for an opportunity to design and develop innovative products that are useful to society led him to R2D2. His love for the products in the technology field and preference for using customized and personalized products got him interested in assistive technology, where the need for personalization is high.

Having played football in college, he loves following football religiously. He loves to cook and binge-watch, apart from spending time with his family and cats.

Siddharth M

Siddharth is a Product Design and Development Engineer at R2D2, IIT Madras. He has completed his B.E in Automobile Engineering from the Institute of Road and Transport Technology (IRTT), Erode (Now Government Engineering College, Erode) and his M.Des in Product Design & Manufacturing from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. 


At R2D2, he seeks to blend Product Design and Design Engineering principles to create Novel and Functional Products. He is working on projects like a Smart Mobility device for wheelchair users and a Vision Enhancer. 

His domains of interest include Product Design, Mechanical Design, Design Thinking, Robotics and Smart Mobility.

Rajesh Kumar

Rajesh Kumar is a senior fabrication and assembly Technician, educated at the Industrial Training Institute. Besides, he holds a bachelor’s degree in arts. 

Rajesh started working on the Gait trainer and Standing wheelchair, then worked on NeoFly, NeoBolt, Saathi Walker, Beach Wheelchair, TCM, Walkchair, and Body Movement Wheelchair. Rajesh is an expert in identifying fabrication possibilities and enhancements that help the research team during the design process. His keen interest in the area led him to learn Solidworks and Master Cam.  

He loves to play cricket, volleyball, and football, and he is very interested in trekking and sea swimming.

Dheeraj K Panicker

Dheeraj K Panicker completed his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Production Engineering from TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala. 

At college, he organised a social fest, Trika '20, the first of its kind in Kerala. As part of his college design project, he designed a portable ramp facility that allowed differently-abled people to access beaches and experience the waves. He is a mechanical design engineer working on Saathi WalkChair and Stair Climbing Wheelchair.

 

He is a huge fan of O. V. Vijayan and Gabriel García Márquez because of the magical realism in their books, loves to watch and play football, and is also interested in cricket.

Harish Jairaj

Harish is a mechanical engineer with experience in the manufacturing and design sectors. He completed his undergraduate degree from Velammal Engineering College. Currently, working as a Design Engineer at R2D2, he is focused on the Thryv Mobility wheelchair project.


Before his current role, he worked as a ZF WABCO India Limited graduate technician and as a Design Engineer at Apzem India Engineering, where he gained valuable experience working on air pollution control systems. In addition to his professional experience, he was a dedicated basketball player during his school and college days. Through his love of sports, he learned the value of teamwork, dedication, and hard work.

Seethapathi P

Seethapathi is a Senior Technician at R2D2 and holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineering. He has worked on projects such as Arise Standing Wheelchair, NeoFly, NeoBolt and EZ-LOK orthotic knee. He has been involved in the assembly and associated works of Prosthetic knee and Hip simulators. 

He voluntarily trained in Mastercam and has taken responsibility for manufacturing prosthetic knee prototypes at R2D2. With over five years of experience, he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge that makes him more productive, easily takes on challenges, and achieves the required output. 

He is interested in developing educational games for school children. He likes to play cricket and listen to music.

Aghil Prakash M

Aghil, a graduate in mechanical engineering from Calicut University, discovered his innate passion for invention when he developed a patentable book-binding machine as part of his academic pursuits. This revelation sparked a renaissance within him, driving him to delve deeper into product design, development, and manufacturing. Over more than five years, Aghil has honed his expertise in these fields through diverse roles in various organizations. Seeking to augment his skills, Aghil pursued additional training in mechanical product design at the CADD Centre and completed a Post Graduate Certificate Course in Professional development (PGCCPD) from the prestigious CREST-IIMK institute. 

His commitment to innovation is evident through his contributions to the field, including a published patent and ongoing work on other inventions, alongside pending design patents. Aghil's thirst for knowledge is insatiable, as he actively seeks opportunities to learn and grow. He avidly consumes literature and educative YouTube infographics and keeps abreast of geopolitics and current affairs. For Aghil, each day presents an opportunity to expand his horizons and acquire new skills, reflecting his unwavering dedication to personal and professional development.

Satish Balaraman

Sathish completed his undergraduate degree in Mechanical engineering from Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology, Vellore and then pursued a master's program in Bioengineering from Christian Medical College, Vellore. As part of his master's thesis, he worked on a Plug and Train Robot for hand rehabilitation (PLUTO). He is now a project associate in R2D2, IITM, on the same project. He works on mechanical design and inventory management for the commercialization of PLUTO. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies and sports.

Clinton N

Clinton completed his B.E. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from Kingston Engineering College. 

Clinton was part of the 4.5 years Health care Administration. Managing centres across Tamil Nadu, PnL, Billing reconciliation, Centre Staff Management, and Training admins for the Dialysis Hospitals. Clinton joined R2D2 -PLUTO in 2022 Apr as a  Project Associate. He was involved in setting up the Inventory, Fabrication part, admin-related works, and strap and foam preparation support given to the Pluto Project. He interacts with user Patients for clinical trials, medical professionals, hospitals, rehab centres and other channels in the mobility assistive space. 

Clinton is passionate about all indoor and outdoor sports, especially football.

Manavalan

Manavalan completed his Electrical and Electronics Engineering bachelor's degree from Jeppiaar SRR Engineering College, Chennai. After that, he worked as a maintenance trainee in Sri Ramalinga Mills, Aruppukottai, for a year. He worked for a few months in the Maintenance & Store Department at Kusauto PVT Ltd Chennai 

Manavalan Joined the R2D2 lab in June 2022 as a Project Associate. He Worked on an Electroporation Project (Electric Circuit code & designing). Currently, he's Working on the design and development of a portable weighing Scale for bed-ridden patients. 

In his free time, he plays Cricket, watches sports and movies, and loves to travel. 

Praveen Kumar

Praveen Kumar completed his undergraduate degree in Mechanical engineering from Global  Institute of Engineering & Technology, Vellore, post which he worked 3yrs of  R&D and Service  Engineer for Indian railway, and also metro rail track inspection in S.V.A. Rikkon Lubes Pvt. Ltd. And then in the lubrication field as a Service Engineer in Auto Lubricators (SKF LINCOLN). 

Praveen joined the R2D2 Project Associate in Plug and Train Robot for Hand Rehabilitation (PLUTO) IITM. He works on mechanical design and all the 3D Print machines to handle, fabricate and assemble parts of PLUTO. Then he interacts with users and patients for Clinical Trials, medical professionals hospitals, and rehab centres. In his free time, he plays shuttle and cricket and enjoys watching movies and sports. 

Dharmesh Joshi

Dharmesh is a mechanical engineering graduate from V. V. P. Engineering College, Gujarat. He is interested in biomechanics and the development of prosthetics. 

He has more than eight years of experience in design and manufacturing and more than three years of experience in linear, non-linear, static and dynamic analysis. 

Currently working as a project associate at R2D2 lab for research and development of affordable prosthetic foot and looking for research in energy-storing foot development. 

He is also interested in travelling and exploring ancient sites and temples of India and different cultural activities in India.

Naveen Krishna

Naveen is an automotive engineer by education with a Bachelor's degree In Automobile Engineering from Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai, and a master's degree in the same from Birmingham City University. He has joined Thryv as the product development and manufacturing lead. Naveen, before this, has worked R&D in various domains ranging from core automotive OEMs to healthcare to bespoke motorcycle development. 

His primary experience is in manufacturable design and development, with a keen interest in simple engineering solutions and clean engineering practices. 

Naveen has helped develop several product and technology patents in automotive engineering, healthcare, and production automation. He specialises in the productization and monetisation of intellectual property. 

He is an avid animal lover, specifically dogs. He is a vocal advocate for native breeds and bringing back the breeds lost to obscurity. He is a biker, a tinkerer, a PC enthusiast, a huge proponent of DIY and a gamer. 

Prashanna Rangan R 

Prashanna is an automation engineer with exposure to electronics and mechanical elements and a passion for developing rehabilitation devices. He joined as a mechatronics engineer with Thryv Mobility in June 2023. He received his master's in Industrial Automation in 2023  and his bachelor’s in Mechatronics Engineering in 2019. 

Before this work experience, he worked with TITAN Company Limited - Watches and Wearable Division as Senior Engineer, Automation and Machine Maintenance for two and a half years, where he gained experience in building custom automation solutions to meet the company’s needs. He has published in ten indexed journals and has two patents (one granted & one pending)

Apart from his professional experiences, he is a DIY enthusiast and an avid biker who engages in road trips to explore the beauty of nature. 

S Vaideesh Ragavan

S. Vaideesh Ragavan graduated from Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai, where he completed his undergraduate degree in Medical Electronics Engineering. His professional journey commenced with a three-month internship at CMC, where he had the privilege of working under the guidance of Dr. Sivakumar Balasubrmanian. Subsequently, he joined R2D2 as a Project Associate, actively engaged in groundbreaking projects, including AREBO and MARS. He specialises in electronic circuit testing and 3D CAD modelling in these projects. 

Outside of his professional life, Vaideesh Ragavan is an ardent music lover, frequently seeking solace and inspiration through the beauty of melodies. He is also a passionate traveller, constantly looking for opportunities to explore new destinations and cultures, adding depth to his life experiences.


Likhitha S Das

Likhitha completed her B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering (Production) from T. K. M. College of Engineering, Kollam. She worked at Infosys Limited as a system engineer. 

Likhitha coordinated many sociocultural events in the college, which helped her to improve her leadership skills. She participated in the National Electric Kart Championship in 2019. She qualified for all the safety rounds in her first attempt in the NEKC Championship 2019 during her studies at T K M. 

She joined R2D2 as a design engineer researching and developing affordable prosthetic foot and looking for research in energy-storing foot development.  She is a team player with a professional attitude and achievement motivation. She is curious to learn new things, experience new cultures, and meet new people.

Anisha A

Anisha completed her Electrical and Electronics Engineering bachelor's degree from Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, Chennai. 

She worked with a startup where she designed two medical device products on the market. She is a passionate Embedded Engineer who designs the product from the architectural idea. She is a person who loves fraternising and strongly believes in teamwork. 

Besides academics, she does wall paintings and gardening.

Sridhar K

Sridhar K, a 2018 Mechanical Engineering graduate from Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology, gained diverse experience. At Best Fab Technical Services, he supervised production systems, coordinated design and production stages, and managed a team. At VBK Fibreo Tech Industries, he designed products, managed the design-to-production process, and addressed customer feedback. 

As a Product Development Engineer on the PLUTO project, he focuses on new product development. Outside work, he enjoys reading history books and listening to music.

Erin Jossy

Erin Jossy is a mechanical engineer who has completed his undergraduate degree from NIT Calicut. During his studies, he has been a crucial member of the Robotics Interest Group (RIG), a student club focusing on robotics.  As part of the final year project, he developed a patentable novel gripper that can capture objects irrespective of their shape and orientation, which helped him realise his passion towards product design and development. He likes mythology, history and football.

Thiagu S

He completed his undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering from the Government College of Engineering – Tirunelveli. 

Thiagu joined the AREBO team as a project associate in June 2022. He handles Mechanical Design, Fabrication and 3D printing of the Rehabilitation robot. 

He likes to explore music and meditates during his free time. 

Aparna S

Aparna is a mechanical engineer who recently graduated from the Federal Institute of Science and Technology in 2023. She successfully developed an unmanned aerial underwater drone during college as her final year project. 

She actively participated in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) E-Fests. She has made and raced a drone as a part of the E-fest. She has also designed a hovercraft and achieved national recognition with her team, securing a third prize. She enjoys watching Formula 1.

Prajith Raj R

Prajith Raj R presently serves as an FEA Engineer at R2D2, contributing to the Prosthetic Foot project. He earned his Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Adi Shankara Institute of Engineering and Technology, Kerala. Before his current role, he gained valuable experience in electric vehicle battery pack design and development. 

Prajith Raj R has also made a notable contribution to the academic community by publishing a journal paper. This paper discusses his final year college project, "Design and Analysis of a Solar Dryer with a Parabolic-Shaped Dish-Type Collector for Drying Peanuts”, published in IOPScience.

Outside his professional life, he enjoys cricket, movies, reading, and mobile photography.

M Sabjhon

M. Sabjhon obtained his Computer Science Engineering diploma from the Government Polytechnic College in Cheyyar. His journey in technology commenced with a one-month internship at BSNL in Vellore, where he gained valuable insights into the industry. Subsequently, he honed his skills as an intern at CMC Vellore, focusing on Python programming and embedded systems. 

M. Sabjhon has found his professional home at R2D2 as a Project Associate. In this role, he is actively involved in the dynamic MARS and AREBO projects, contributing his expertise to advance the field. 

Beyond the realm of technology, Sabjhon has a passion for cricket, and his talent has taken him to the district level during his school days. He is also an accomplished athlete, demonstrating his dedication to sports and technology.

Sugumaran P

Sugumaran is a skilled machinist who has completed ITI Machinist from MINT ITI North Chennai. He has worked at Wabco Pvt Ltd in the air brakes assembly section and at the Central Skill Training and Fabrication Facility, IIT Madras as a Trainee where he gained valuable experience in critical machining processes through various research projects. 

Since September 2023, he has been working as a machinist at R2D2, where he applies his expertise and creativity to develop smart ways of machining. He is passionate about his work and always eager to learn new techniques and methods. 

In his spare time, He enjoys playing cricket and volleyball.

Sujith Christopher

Sujith, an engineer, began his journey with our laboratory as a project associate. He holds a graduate degree, an MS in Bioengineering jointly awarded by CMC Vellore and SCTIMST. His undergraduate education was in Electronics and Communication Engineering at Karunya University, Coimbatore. Subsequently, after completing his undergraduate studies, he joined the Department of Radiation Oncology at CMC Vellore as a Research Fellow, working on the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) project in 2017. During his tenure there, he also contributed to teaching Basic Electronics and MATLAB programming to BSLAP and M.Sc. medical physics students. 

Later on, Sujith transitioned to the Department of Bioengineering at CMC Vellore in 2021, assuming the role of a Research Fellow. In this capacity, he worked on a computer vision-based project focused on upper-limb assessment. As part of his MS thesis, he developed the Instrumented Arm-Skateboard (ARMBO), designed for upper-limb assessment and rehabilitation. Currently, Sujith is part of our team as a project associate. He is passionate about teaching programming languages and enjoys playing the guitar in his free time. 

V Kabilan

V Kabilan earned a Bachelor's in Medical Electronics Engineering from Saveetha Engineering College in Chennai. His professional journey commenced with a two-month internship at SMCH. After He joined an internship at CMC, he had the privilege of working under the guidance of Dr. Sivakumar Balasubrmanian. Following this enriching experience, he joined R2D2 as a Trainee. Currently, He is actively engaged in the design and development of rehabilitation and assistive devices, contributing significantly to the advancement of this field.

Clinical, Research & NCAHT Team

Kritika Jain

Kritika is a Physiotherapy alumnus from Christian Medical College, Vellore, and the School of Allied Health Sciences (MAHE), Manipal. She is a postgraduate in Neurosciences Physiotherapy and has more than four years of experience treating patients with neuromotor disorders with a specific focus on spinal cord injury rehabilitation. 

She is currently a part of the Touch REHAB project under R2D2 as a Content Leader and leads a subsidiary project, Touch FREEDOM. Both projects are user-oriented and aim at disseminating evidence-based information about the best affordable practices to live well with spinal cord injury. The projects also focus on delivering rehabilitation-related guidance to users with spinal cord injuries in remote locations to enable them to lead independent lives

In her free time, she loves to read and has a newfound love for gardening.


Ida Hephzibah

Ida, a dedicated Occupational Therapist, is an alumna of Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. She specialises in Pediatrics, earning her Master's in Occupational Therapy from Kovai Medical College and Hospital (KMCH), Coimbatore. Her primary area of expertise lies in Community-Based Rehabilitation, where she has taken on challenging roles in rural villages of North East India as a Project Officer for a mission hospital - Baptist Christian Hospital, Tezpur. Furthermore, she has valuable experience caring for children with neurodevelopmental disorders at Neolife Children's Hospital, Chennai. Currently working as Project Associate - Occupational Therapist at TTK Centre for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development, IIT Madras. 

Outside of her professional life, Ida finds joy in painting and quality time with friends and family.

Anushka Nanoo

Anushka is a physiotherapy postgraduate specialising in neurology. She completed her bachelor's from Manipal College of Health Professions and her master's from Amity Institute of Health Allied Sciences. She has received certifications from the American Academy of Electrodiagnosis, IIT Madras, the World Federation of Neurorehabilitation, and WHO. Her time working all over India in different hospital settings has given her an in-depth understanding of the needs of a diverse group of patients. 

She is a Clinical Research Associate at R2D2 IIT Madras. Aside from work, she enjoys singing, sketching, cooking, and reading. She also enjoys travelling and learning about different cultures.

Poornachandran G

Poornachandran is a Peer Trainer for persons with spinal cord injury with more than two years of experience, earlier with The Ganga Foundation and currently with TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development at IIT Madras. He completed his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Sathyabhama University, Chennai. He has immense experience working as a trainer and coordinator for Touch Freedom - a virtual rehabilitation resource for persons with a spinal cord injury. He is also a Wheelchair Marathoner, Wheelchair Basketball player and won a Silver medal during the Tamil Nadu Para Powerlifting Championship 2018.

Lakshmanan

Lakshmanan has been a Peer Trainer for persons with spinal cord injuries since 2015. He has completed his B.Com at Sathyabama University. 

His contributions to the sport have been exemplary, representing Tamil Nadu with pride in four national games, clinching two silver and one bronze. His appearances in international tournaments, notably the under-23 event in Thailand in 2017 and India's historic tournament in Noida, Delhi, in 2022, where he secured a silver medal, reflecting his stellar performance on a global platform. 

These achievements, underscored by his commitment to excellence, were further recognized when Lakshmanan was honoured with the Tamil Nadu Governor's Award in 2021. Despite the personal and social challenges posed by a spinal cord injury, Lakshmanan's relentless spirit, determination, and sporting prowess have not only reshaped the landscape of wheelchair basketball but also stand as an inspiration for countless others facing similar hurdles.

Jennifer

Jennifer is a Peer Trainer for persons with spinal cord injuries. Jennifer completed her Bachelor of Science from Queen Mary's College, Chennai. She works at the TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at IIT Madras. In addition to her role as a trainer, Jennifer is an accomplished wheelchair marathoner, wheelchair basketball player, and yoga practitioner. Before her current position, she gained five years of experience as a school physical education teacher. 


Viji

Viji is a peer trainer for persons with spinal cord injuries.  Viji completed her diploma in information technology (DIT) from Karaikal Polytechnic College, Karaikal.  She works at the TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at IIT Madras. In addition to her role as a trainer, Viji is a wheelchair badminton player and a wheelchair marathoner. 

Operations Team

Ganga Saravanan

Ganga Saravanan completed DECE at Sri Balaji Polytechnic College and graduated BE-ECE from Prince Shri Venkateswara Padmavathi Engineering College. She has of experience 10+years, worked in various organisations as an HR and Admin Consultant. Currently, working as a Senior Executive at IIT Madras for the past five years. She joined R2D2 in September 2022 to take care of administrative activities. 

Ganga is married and has two daughters. She likes listening to music, is fond of travelling with friends & family and likes to play games.

Pawan Dadhich

Pawan Dadhich is a B.Ed Special Educator in Indian Sign Language. He has four years of experience as an Administrator in the CBSE school, Rajasthan Government. 

He has acted in a lead role in Tamil Movie "Savarakathi" - Myskin Direction. He is interested in participating and representing in Disability events. 

Pawan is also passionate about motor riding and enjoys spending time with Nature. He spends his free time sketching art and playing wheelchair Basketball and Chess.

PhD Scholars

Preethi Srinivasan

Preethi is pursuing her PhD in Humanities and Social Sciences at IIT Madras. Before that, she worked full-time at Moviebuff.com as a content writer for nearly seven years

She is the founder of Soulfree, a public charitable trust working to improve the quality of life of persons living with spinal cord injury in India, with a special focus on women and those living below the poverty line. Currently, she is working to set up an Integrated Spinal Rehabilitation centre called INSPIRE in a 20,000 ft² facility at Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. 

As a person who has spent more than two decades in a body that is paralysed below the neck, she has an experiential understanding of the vital importance of assistive devices in enabling persons with impairments and empowering us by giving us access to improved quality of life and independence. 

Preethi leads a simple spiritual life at Thiruvannamalai with her mother. She loves nature, music, sports and food, but most of all, the bliss of just being fully alive in the present moment.

Sachin Kumar

Sachin Kumar is a research scholar at IIT Madras with interests in biomechanics, smart material and vibration isolation. 

An alumnus of the National Institute of Technology Agartala and Indian Institute of Technology Madras, he did course work along with a project titled Design and development of MR damper for prosthetic knee application, under the guidance of Prof. Sujatha C and with the help of Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan. He works in characterisation, mathematical modelling and designing optimised MR dampers for ankle application. 

Apart from being a researcher, he loves cricket, chess and pets.

Neelakshi Ganguly

Neelakshi is a PhD scholar who joined  R2D2 Laboratory through the Three Institute PhD program of IIT Madras in July 2022. Along with our lab, she is collaborating with the Neurorehabilitation lab of Christian Medical College, Vellore. 


She graduated in Electrical Engineering.  Her keen interest in Biomedical and assistive technology led her to a master's in Biomedical Engineering from Jadavpur University,  Kolkata and then dived into  Brain Computer-Interface for her thesis work. To nurture her interest, she also joined as an intern at the Institute of Neuroscience, Kolkata( IN-K)


Neelakshi likes to read thrillers. She is passionate about Indian Classical dance forms, especially Bharatnatyam, and never leaves an opportunity to cultivate and explore it. 

Prem Kumar

He began his journey at IIT Madras as an M.Tech student and is currently a PhD scholar. His interest in robotics and the challenges in physical human-robot interaction drove him to work in the assistive technologies space. He did his graduation in Mechanical Engineering at the Government College of Engineering, Tirunelveli. 

He is currently working on an Arm Rehabilitation Robot (AREBO). The robot focuses on rehabilitating the shoulder joint with intensive game therapy. His research interests include biomechanics and physical Human-Robot Interaction(pHRI).

Prem is an avid reader of storybooks and enjoys travelling.

MS/MTech Scholars

Mittappally Sandeep Reddy

Sandeep is a mechanical engineer who graduated from Vardhaman College of Engineering, Hyderabad. Then worked as a JRF in DRDO-TBRL, Chandigarh. 

Currently, he is doing MS Research at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras under the guidance of Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan. He is presently working on Transfer and Mobility devices. He chose this area because he is interested in biomechanics, Medical device design and development, and Assistive devices. 

He likes to travel, play badminton and listen to music.

Yash Dhirendra Tote

Yash is a Mtech student in the department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras and specialisation in Mechanical Design. He graduated from the University of Mumbai with a 9.95 CGPA in Mechanical Engineering. His area of interest is product and system design.

His Mtech project focuses on developing suspension wheels for wheelchairs and bicycles, which can replace usual spoke wheels and provide suspension to the wheelchair or bicycle, thereby reducing the whole body vibration of the user. This can provide comfort to the user and can solve problems like back pain. This is the first Indian suspension wheel using a compliant mechanism.

Yash is also an athlete who likes to play kho-kho, kabaddi, cricket, football, and badminton.


Arjun Saxena K S

Arjun Saxena K S is a Mtech student pursuing a specialization in Mechanical Design within the Mechanical Department at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. Under the guidance of Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan, he is actively engaged in a project that revolves around the Design and analysis of a rotary MR (Magneto-Rheological) brake-actuator for prosthetic ankle applications. This project implies the application of mechanical design principles to address real-world challenges, particularly in the healthcare field. 

Beyond his academic commitments, he is greatly interested in sports, especially Cricket and Badminton. In addition to his involvement in sports, he is a creative individual who enjoys pencil drawing. 

Honorary Member

S. Vaidyanathan (Advisor to R2D2 and NeoMotion)

With a heavy heart, we bade goodbye to Vaidy recently (May 2021). His spirit will continue to guide us in our work. Johan Dinakaran, Team NeoMotion, created this tribute to Vaidy.

Team NeoMotion

Go to Neomotion website

NeoMotion

NeoMotion will always be an integral part of the R2D2 family. Incubated at IIT Madras, NeoMotion was founded by our alumni, passionate about empowering persons with mobility impairments and aiming to create social equity through high-quality assistive devices.  

Alumni

PhD

MS

B.Tech

M.Tech/DD