A live demo session on customised prosthetics was held at the video conference hall of the North Eastern Council (NEC) here by a team from Assam Electronics Development Corporation (AMTRON) in the presence of dignitaries from various organisations and NEC Secretary K Moses Chalai other senior officials of NEC today. The programme was held jointly by NEC, Composite Resource Centre (CRC), Shillong and AMTRON.
The event was attended by Prof. Prashant Jindal, Design Innovation Centre, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chandigarh and Sanjay Kumar Singh General Manager, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. AMTRON gave a brief presentation on the aims and objectives of the programmes and initiatives taken by the Government of India for the welfare of the disabled.
While welcoming the audience, Chalai said, “With the digital designing of prosthetics we can design the parts which otherwise is very time consuming to design and with 3-D printing, it would be precise. 3-D printing is a part of 4.0 industry and the North East should also catch up with the 4.0 industry though there are limitations with normal industrialisation in the North East region.”
AMTRON has proposed to set up 3-D Printing Centre of Excellence in the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) in collaboration with other government agencies to be set up in Tech City, Guwahati.
The Government of India has come up with a vision under Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and easing living. By using mobile scanner for scanning amputation cases for preparation of moulds by reducing waiting period in field camps as well as OPD visits to institutions for getting basic negative mould made of customised prosthetics and development of mobile app for stakeholder consultation, digital India and Make in India aided with digital India and the intervention taken up by the Government of India.
It may be mentioned that this 3-D printing technology would help everyone particularly the poorer as there is a shortage of trained prosthetics. This technique would be cost effective and being custom designed, this product is suited to individual needs 3-D printing prosthetics can be made quickly, does have much more range of colours and it also helps in reducing expensive imports.
There are a lot of people living with disability which can either be by birth or congenital or on acquired disability ranging from accident, trauma or lifestyle issues. So, it can be said that disability is on the rise. Also, as far as North East India is concerned, it also has a sizeable number of populations affected by disability.
With the emergence of 4.0 industry in the coming years, the ecosystem is going to have a massive impact on delivery of services to people living with disabilities by use of mobile scanners for scanning of amputation cases for preparation of mould.
The technology has been developed especially for the welfare of the persons with disabilities in association with various national institutions under the Department of Persons with Disabilities (PWD).
A live demo of the digital screening for designing customised prosthetics would revolutionise the way people look at prosthetics. This would also help all the persons with disability to live a life of dignity.
The clients on whom the demo was carried out were present at the event. The clients and beneficiaries were Ksanname Lyngdoh Mawphlang (11) with multiple Disability with Scoliosis, Synroplangki Nanglein (15) with Symes Amputation, (L) Chopart Amputation, Surely Mukhim (35) with BE Amputation and Pynbait Talang (30) with AK Amputation. The prosthetic parts will be printed through 3D printers and delivered to the patients in the next ten days.
