Toyota counts on Indian innovators for its mobility challenge

Japanese auto major Toyota Motor Corp is betting on Indian innovators to contribute significantly to its USD 4 million global challenge to develop mobility solutions for people with lower-limb paralysis.
Toyota Mobility Foundation has launched its 'Mobility Unlimited Challenge' in association with Nesta's Challenge Prize Centre with an aim to change lives of people with lower-limb paralysis. The winner of the challenge will be announced in Tokyo in 2020.
The challenge will run for three years with different competitors from the fields of technology, design and engineering around the world expected to participate, Toyota Mobility Foundation said in the statement.

"We know that India's world-class innovators could be significant contributors to this challenge since India is already one of the largest engineer producers in the world and the country is renowned for its engineering and technology colleges and burgeoning, dynamic tech startup scene," Toyota Mobility Foundation Director of Programmes Ryan Klem said in a statement.
The challenge is seeking for teams around the world to create technology that will help radically improve mobility and independence of people with paralysis, it added.
"With India set to have the highest number of software developers anywhere in the world, we hope this incredible talent will engage with this Challenge and truly create change for people with lower-limb paralysis," Klem said.

The foundation further said a panel of expert judges will pick five finalists who will each receive USD 5,00,000 to take their concepts from an intelligent insight to a prototype.

The challenge winner will get USD 10,00,000 to make the device available to users.
"The Mobility Unlimited Challenge aims to attract and support smaller innovators who might otherwise struggle to break into the assistive technology market," it said.
The Discovery Awards will provide seed funding of USD 50,000 for 10 groups with promising concepts, who might otherwise lack the resources to enter the challenge, it said.