Collaborative effort with D-Lab Programme; MIT, Boston (USA)
During this finncial year, a rare opportunity came to CRD for action research on slow-moving vehicles with international technology collaboration. Mr. Gwyndaf Jones, a renowned American Technocrat, Innovator and Entrepreneur and a visiting Faculty of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, made an official visit to CRD Office and Workshop at Guwahati during August/2009 and spent an eventful week working at the Rickshaw Bank together with the STED Project Coordinator. During his stay, he thoroughly inspected the entire technical aspects of the Rickshaw Bank, and also examined the possibility of future technological collaboration as a long term measure. Besides, Mr. Jones worked for ‘New Triple Sprocket Chain System.’ The rickshaw, to which the new triple sprocket chain system had been fixed, was subsequently tested for its efficiency first within the CRD Rickshaw Bank workshop. All the technicians and actual rickshaw pullers rode the vehicle within the workshop campus and their feedback had been noted.

The test had been a great success, and the feedback received from the both pullers had been outstanding. Both the pullers opined that the new triple sprocket system far exceeds the other new model so far as its swiftness and easy pedaling is concerned. According to them, this new design would be most suitable to the bumpy uneven roads of Guwahati and other Indian cities and even tire 2 townships considering its easy riding system.
Later during January 2010; Mr Jones again visited CRD along with seven students from MIT and worked on different aspects of the Rickshaw to develop a new model of rickshaw featuring low weight, comfortable sitting, easy riding and controlling.