VISAKHAPATNAM: The innovative research team of DRDO led by former director-general (Naval Systems and Materials), V Bhujanga Rao was presented the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities-2015 for the indigenous Cochlear Implant Device designed by Bhujanga Rao and his team. The team won the award under the category - award for best applied research/innovation/product development for improving the lives of persons with disabilities.
Bhujanga Rao, the chief designer of the Cochlear Implant Device, received the award on behalf of the DRDO Team from Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley at a function held in New Delhi Thursday.
The project to develop an affordable Cochlear Implant Device was conceptualised by Bhujanga Rao and is in advanced stage of trials. The DRDO Team includes 25 scientists and researchers from DRDO Labs - NSTL, ANURAG, DEBEL, DIPAS - and Andhra University, STARC (SITAR). The low-cost indigenously developed device is expected to greatly improve the quality of life of the profoundly deaf.