The Indian Recliner

Click here to see Prototype #1.

Click here to see Production of Final.

As we gets older our muscles begin to slowly lose their strength and we have difficulties in getting up from our beds or chairs as we don’t have the ability to carry our weight on our back. With an outlook to improve the existing situation of bad design incorporated in reclining beds for the aged at homes, old age homes and hospitals, we are setting out to make it much easier for ‘The Grand Patients’ to be self sufficient in reclining their beds.

There are 2 prevalent systems of reclining beds present in India apart from an electric alternative. One involves the caretaker to physically turn a crank situated at the end of the bed near the foot of the person lying on the bed. The other system has notches on the back of the reclining bed which the caretaker has to manually shift and prop it up with the help of a metal rod. The problem with both lie in the fact that they are extremely hard to negotiate with by the patients\patrons themselves. Also combined with the fact that these beds cost a minimum of twenty thousand rupees, while the electric one can set one back by anywhere between thirty to eighty thousand, a cheaper\handier alternative seems very viable considering the Indian perspective.

We have three proposals -

1. With the help of a set of gears incorporated in the working of the reclining bed, the patient can themselves control the extent of recline of the bed by rolling a small wheel, situated on their side at an arms distance, which is attached to the gears. This motion is facilitated by a counterweight extending from underneath the bed, which helps bring the top half of the bed to a semi upright

position. [Fig 1.2 and 1.2]

Fig. 1.1

Fig. 1.2

2. The patient can control the extent of recline of the bed by pressing two buttons, one for either direction, situated on the side of the bed at an arms distance. These buttons will be connected to a handy\cheap car hydraulic jack situated underneath the bed to move the counter weight.

3. This idea is a pure original. Keeping in mind the original counterweight idea, a motor pump [a simple alternating pump] is used to pump water as a weight to and fro from a tank affixed to the bed, to vary the extent of recline of the bed. There will be two buttons again on the side of the bed which would be connected to the pump. [Fig 2.1 and 2.2]

Fig 2.1

Fig 2.2

The option that turns out to be the most viable after making the prototype and figuring out material and cost will be the decided option to work on.

- Alok Utsav & Siddhanth Shetty

Healing Melodies

We all know that our environment is conducive to our state of being in terms of one's mood and health. Music therapy takes advantage of this correlation; it is the use of sound to improve and/or maintain health. With the advent of our final years there is a natural depression that creeps into our minds; music can naturally combat this, as well as, reduce stress and anger.
Environment is particularly important in hospitals;  a simple vase can brighten up the room. As can music. Research shows that ambient music can speed up recovery and help relieve pain. I propose incorporating this into as many hospitals as we can, especially in convalescent wards. The difference may not be felt immediately but I am sure there will be a marginal improvement, and as we all know, every quantum counts.
Music therapy is not just about feeling better; I firmly believe that music that induces fear, sadness and other emotions generally categorized as negative can still have an overall positive effect on the listener. This can be a cathartic experience that rids his or her system of these feelings.
The most important part of music therapy for the elderly (in my opinion) is the creation of music by the subject. Although this may not appeal to everyone, the minds of those who do take part will be kept active, preventing mental stagnation.
Altogether, the various facets of music therapy extensively cater to the needs of the healthy and the sick, across the ageline.