Overview
To reduce the load on pilgrim porters, the Industrial Design Centre at IIT Bombay designed and fabricated a lightweight, ergonomic and durable palki made of stainless steel weighing just 34 kilos, reducing the load by over 6 kilos individually. My summer internship focused on the properties of cane for design, the fabrication of a cane palki, and how it could be viable alternative to the steel version as a lightweight, eco-friendly and durable palanquin made with local craftsmen.
TEAM
Aniket Bhagat, Arvind Bhallamudi, Kishore Chavan, B.K. Chakravarthy, Faqrul and Nazrul (cane craftsmen)
MY ROLE: Industrial Design Intern
Crafted sketches and concepts of the cane palkhi, collaborated with local vendors in craft, tested mechanical and usability functions, and deployed the product.
KEY SKILLS
Co-Crafting a Rattan Palanquin (Palkhi)
SHENOY STUDIO, IDC SCHOOL OF DESIGN, IIT BOMBAY | 2024-2025
CHALLENGES
Discovering Porter Concerns & Needs
The pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu & Kashmir is considered holy. The main idol of the goddess resides in a cave temple located in the folds of the three-peaked mountain called Trikuta. The temple is situated at an altitude of 1585 m (5200 ft.). It is one of the most popular destinations of Hindu devotees, attracting over 10 million 'Yatris' every year. ​ They undertake a steep trek of over 12 km from the base camp at Katra. This is highly strenuous, more so for the elderly and the disabled. Hence, many pilgrims prefer to be carried up in palki (palanquin). Each palki is carried by a team of four highly skilled and co-ordinated porters over the entire stretch. ​
RESEARCH
Learning about the Steel Palkhi and Exploring Cane
To reduce the load on the porters, the Industrial Design Centre at IIT Bombay designed and fabricated a lightweight, ergonomic and durable palki made of stainless steel weighing just 34 kilos, reducing the load by over 6 kilos individually.
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Rattan (popularly called ‘cane’) is a climbing plant, which grows abundantly in the tropical regions. There are 13 genera of cane divided into 700 species which are predominant around southeast Asia. It is the fastest growing tropical wood, typically taking around 5-7 years to restore its growth before it is ready to be harvested again, which makes it a great naturally sustainable option.
Cane is strong, durable, flexible and light-weight, making it an excellent choice of material for a wide range of applications. The density of cane varies between 0.27 to 0.65 g/cm3 depending on the species. Cane has excellent strength-to-weight ratios and it's mechanical properties improve with increase in density. It also gives an aesthetic, raw and natural look to products.
DESIGNS
Building a Palkhi with Cane and Steel
The concept sketches shown below were made for a full-cane palki. Since the front and back sections were later attached with a steel part, changes were made accordingly during the fabrication. Since cane does not possess high rigidity such as that of steel, major cane members needed to be doubled vertically for compensation.
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First, all the long canes were prepared for the palki by heating and straightening out all the small naturally occurring misalignments. Then they were cut according to the given dimensions with a hack saw and bent into required shapes for the basic frame. The chair was constructed separately and attached to the frame.
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The load was found to concentrate at the joints near the ring (at the front and back) through which a thick wooden pipe goes through to carry the palki. Instead of making the palki entirely out of cane, this section was cut out from an earlier trial stainless-steel version and attached to the cane frame.
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The finite element analysis was carried by the team at IDC, and is based on the load of an average passenger, and the reaction forces. It uses material properties of stainless steel (SS304) and custom properties of cane. These tests validated stress, strain and deflection values of the cane palkhi, rendering it a feasible solution.
Concept Sketch
Native Process
Integration with Steel
FMEA / Simulation
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IMPACT
Lightweight and Eco-Friendly Alternative
The cane palkhi is lightweight, more environmental-friendly, and can be manufactured locally, contributing to skill development and job creation. The reduction in weight (coupled with new designs), can reduce the number of porters to say, three instead of four, and increasing their income. The tools used in fabrication lend themselves to improvement in terms of ease of use and better output.
