Transpact Enterprises at TechFest 2016

We received a very delightful feedback for our forerunner product, The Vestibulator at Techfest 2016. The concept, design, technology and the extent of its socio-economic impact & relevance received such an optimistic feedback from the doctors, technology experts, NGO’s, researchers, academicians & general public. From being called as the wonder device, to the queries about where the Vestibulator could be brought from, when will it be in the market for sale, its future applications and so on we experienced it all. So, I thought to share the experience and went ahead to pen down, “Transpact Enterprises at Techfest 2016”.

Techfest, Asia’s Largest Science and Technology Festival is the annual science and technology festival of Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Techfest is known for hosting a variety of events that include competitions, displays, demonstrations, lectures and workshops. Started in 1998 with the aim of providing a platform for the Indian student community to develop and showcase their technical dexterity. The activities conclude in a grand three-day festival event in the campus of IIT Bombay which attracts people from all over the World, including students, academia, corporates and the general public.

TechConnect was an exhibition organized by Techfest from 16^th to 18^th December 2016 in collaboration with IRCC, IIT B to highlight the research & development activities of IIT Bombay. It aimed at showcasing the technologies developed in IIT Bombay to satisfy the upcoming requirements of the industry also meet the critical social needs of the country and benefit the society.

Transpact participated in Techconnect representing the Industrial Design Centre of IIT B. For the first time the Co-patented technology Transpact & IRCC was made available to more than 1,65,000 people   to look at. Yes! The Vestibulator designed in joint research with The Industrial Research and Consultancy Centre, IIT B to stimulate the vestibular system of the user especially for children suffering from Cerebral Palsy & Autism was exhibited to the world; a unique, innovative, mechanized, digital healthcare solution (device) to achieve   maximum Vestibular Stimulation for vestibular, neuro-developmental and sensory integration therapy. 

It was an enriching and overwhelming experience for the team of Transpact Enterprises. Glimpses of which areattached herein. Techfest is entirely managed by students of IIT Bombay with a three-tier team structure. The hospitality the coordinators & team members offered was amazing. we appreciate them for such wonderful & timely arrangements of things.

Meeting the emotional needs of differently abled Children

Special need Children especially those with physical or cognitive challenges often experience a number of social problems such as anxiety, relationship problems, depression, attention deficit and many more. They generally face real and sometimes self-imposed difficulty in building relationships. They find it very difficult to gel in with others, they often feel felt out of the crowd.

The most common social issues with differently abled children are depression, sadness, lack of confidence, frustration, unhappiness, embarrassment etc. They often find it difficult to fit in or feel accepted. It Interrupts in their social, emotional and physical development. Also these emotional, attention and behavioral challenges hamper a child’s ability to learn, grow, develop and progress. It is necessary for them to have positive interactions in the family, at school, with friends or on job as it affects their mental health and well-being.

Children with cerebral palsy face innumerable physical, psychological and developmental issues, depending on the severity of the disorder. Thus they tend to have various apprehensions about the society. Social problems with children suffering from cerebral palsy usually comes from their difficulty communicating, making it more difficult for social interaction. Poor coordination of the tongue and mouth muscles affects their speech ability. These problems need to be dealt with, in a very careful and timely manner as they might result in development of social phobia or child’s gradual withdraw from the social set up.

Social therapy is a therapy developed to help individuals experiencing psychological issues or anxiety to regulate their emotions, develop friendship & positive interactions. It is a group based therapy which   helps decrease the sense of loneliness, isolation and stress experienced by the child. The concept of social therapy is existing since late 1970’s. Social therapy involves activities both at individual & group level which lead to teaching, learning, reacting, self-discovery, active as well as passive communication, development of confidence & self-esteem. Social therapy strengths the affection & bonding by encouraging families and friends to provide the children with special needs the opportunities for personal interaction in group settings.

It is an empowering technique as it replaces anxiety, emotional pain & shyness with self-development by teaching new ways of interacting, perceiving, learning & thinking. Thus helps in developing personality; increasing independence, creativity, productivity; enhancing social skills & relationships of a differently abled child.

Technology -The Super hero !!

When life puts a challenge in front of you, it creates a need for solution to overcome it. And Yes! Technology always comes out to be the super hero for the rescue in such situations. For people with disabilities especially cerebral palsy where the extent of penetration of the effects is varied finding right solutions becomes very difficult.  Finding the right tool,  every time to meet the needs is really a tough task. A variety of assistive devices are available in the market right from  mobility devices likes wheelchairs & crawlers , bathing equipment’s,  stool tables  which all aim at making life easier . Technology is ever growing.

High tech innovations are coming up that will surely impact future generations living with Cerebral Palsy and other related conditions. To describe a few researchers at University of Oklahoma have built a Self-Initiated Prone Progression Crawler (SIPPC) to mitigate neurological damage caused by cerebral palsy at an early age. Researchers constructed a motorized scooter for infants with an EEG cap which monitors brain activity during exercises in the physio-occupational therapy sessions, and mounted cameras capture the  movements  20 times /second to create a 3D graph of the crawling child. Ideally infants of 2 to 8 months can use it.

Communication is the basic requirement for the processes of learning and interaction. Tobii Technology has opened up doors of communication for nonverbal children or adults. Eye tracking technology uses the iris of the user to give commands to a computer that in turn speaks for the user. This technology offers a voice to people that earlier had little way to express his or her thoughts. Eye tracking can also be used to create actions, such as the one can operate a wheelchair without the use of limbs.

Deprivation of oxygen at birth is one of the major reasons for Cerebral palsy. The cool Cap is not an ordinary cap. It is designed to cool the brains of babies born with oxygen deprivation during birth may prevent brain damage. It offers a moderate overall reduction in brain damage.

The possibilities which technology & research have opened are truly endless with many more enabling and empowering devices to come up in future.