Chula’s Innovative SPace High-Quality Dynamic Prosthetic Feet Delivery to Veterans General Hospital

The National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Engineering and Chula Unisearch, along with Mahidol University and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, delivered the “sPace” High-Quality Dynamic Prosthetic Feet to Veterans General Hospital on Friday November 3, 2023, for all veterans and civilians with leg disability to have access to the sPace innovation. The purpose is to help improve their quality of life, return their ability to perform everyday tasks and activities, and generate more career opportunities for them. The sPace project has been ongoing since its launch in January 2023. The team expects to deliver 300 sPace feet to 22 hospitals around the country in 2023.  

Prof. Dr. Supot Teachavorasinskun, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, presided over the ceremony to hand over the sPace prosthetic feet to Veterans General Hospital, represented by Lt. Gen. Dechnithit Leung-ngamkham, Director–General of the War Veterans Organization of Thailand. Also present at the ceremony were Dr. Supichai Tangjaitrong, Managing Director of Chula Unisearch, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pairat Tangpornprasert, Head of the research project, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chanyaphan Virulsri, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, researcher on the sPace team.  

Also representing the hospital in receiving the sPace were Dr. Sanga Pinijpichitkul, Director of Veterans General Hospital, and Dr. Chaiyos Chaichankul, Director of Orthopedics and Prosthesis Department, VGH, who were joined by several executives and relevant staff members of Veterans General Hospital, as well as the sPace research and development team in celebration of the occasion.  

The sPace High-Quality Dynamic Prosthetic Feet is an innovation developed by a team of researchers at the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Center of Excellence for Prosthetic and Orthopedic Implant, and the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University. The work won the 2023 Innovation Award and IFIA Best Invention Award. Attractive, modern, and safe, the sPace has been certified Germany’s ISO10328 and registered as medical equipment by the FDA.  

Lt. Gen. Dechnithit Leung-ngamkham, along with the executive team of Veterans General Hospital, guided the executives and research team from Chulalongkorn University through the therapeutic activities for career training at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Veterans General Hospital. The department was established by the Royal Thai Army Medical Department under the royal initiative of H.M. King Bhumibol, who saw that injured and disabled veterans deserved physical and mental rehabilitation, as well as guidance on making a livelihood. Consequently, the veterans will regain their self-worth and have the opportunity to relieve stress through therapeutic career training, including wood carving, Thai-Oshie handicraft, decoupage, water color-oil color painting, etc. The activities will change to fit the conditions and needs of the veterans at the hospital.  

The Chula executives and research team and the administrators of Veterans General Hospital hope that the sPace dynamic prosthetic feet will assist veterans and civilians with disabilities on an extended stay at the hospital to recover both physically and mentally, perform more activities that require movements, and achieve better quality of life. 

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