Mumbai,: The Fourth installment of the ReDx Camp ‘Redesigning Diagnostics’ by MIT Media Lab’s Camera Culture Group along with Tata Center for Technology+Design, IIT-B, Hinduja National Hospital was inaugurated at WeSchool on Jan 24, 2015, bringing together around 100 young participants that included engineers, health professionals and design students from across the country. This confluence of young minds will work towards creating working prototypes of innovative diagnostic devises that will bring high quality and low cost medical solutions to not just the millions of people in India, but also billions of people around the world.
With over 100 prototypes and 380 participants, India’s biggest ‘Design Innovation Workshop’, a collaborative initiative by MIT Media Lab and WeSchool that had concluded successfully last year, Prof Dr Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, WeSchool said, “WeSchool has indeed turned into an innovation hub as we work closely with multiple partners like MIT Media Lab for the DI workshop, International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) for Interdesign 2014, Swedish Energy Agency for India Sweden Energy Accelerator and the world renown Center for Creative Leadership to nurture our Global Citizen Leaders. With design thinking and innovation Imbibed in their psyche, WeSchool’s students with different thinking styles, in teams that are heterogeneous in nature, learn to work through opposable minds to solve various social issues in local context that are connected to national challenges. Equitable access, increased coverage, affordable care are the key factors for improved healthcare systems. Our role is to bring together talent, technology, finance and Innovation to create better healthcare that is available to all”.
While the enthusiastic John Werner, Head of Innovation & New Ventures, Camera Culture Group, unfolded the road map of the camp from ideation, prototyping, development, validation and scaling, his colleague, Prof. Ramesh Raskar, Head, Camera Culture Group, explained that “this joint venture going on in parallel in USA and India will bring speed, scale and sustainability.” As the following presentation of projects by the young brigade of mentors from Camera Culture Club lead by Anshuman Das, brought on display the Low Cost X Ray, Super Stereo, Retinal Labelling Web App, Wound Analysis Device, Digital Stethoscope, Dental Imaging Device, Nonevasive Portable Hydration Sensor, it was fast becoming clear as to how these simple, do-it-yourself, reusable devises when ready to hit the market, will become instrumental in bringing high quality and low cost medical solutions to the masses in India. At the conclusion of the camp, at least five of these promising projects will be selected for continuing development with the goal of commercialization.
Renowned Innovation Guru Dr. R. A. Mashelkar, National Research Professor CSIR-National Chemical Laboratoryalso the President of Global Research Alliance while applauding the collaborative efforts made by WeSchool, inspired as well as set challenges for the young group of participants. “It is amazing to see how people in remote corners of India are looking at problems with innovative approach and creating solutions. The challenge remains in identifying those young minds and to engineer innovation. To move from Incremental to disruptive innovation, from accidental to engineered cohesion is the real challenge. One has to go limitless and create a new future by designing affordable excellence. My dream is to see a smile on the faces of seven billion people of our country.”
The presentation and demonstration of their achievements will be displayed in an exhibition open to corporates, investors, families and media on January 31, 2015 between 10.00-3.00pm.
source : Lokesh Shastri