Neurowheel wins Rep. Andy Kim’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in New Jersey’s Third District

When asked what inspired the creation of Neurowheel, the student said, “My inspiration for creating this app came from a personal experience, as my grandfather suffered an intracranial hemorrhage which caused a hemorrhagic stroke. From the stories I’ve heard about him, his stroke significantly affected his mobility, and learning about his condition piqued my interest in the subject, sparking my desire to help others facing similar challenges. Although I never met him, his experience pushed me to find solutions for people with physical disabilities who struggle with independence and basic mobility. Neurological issues like strokes, ALS, and other neuromuscular disorders leave people dependent on others or on very expensive medical devices for mobility. I want to use modern technology to bridge that gap and give these individuals more control over their lives.

I have always focused on the intersection of technology and medicine, and after specializing myself in robotics for the past 6-8 years, I recently delved into the intricate and cavernous world of neuroscience. After learning that I can combine those two fields through brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and EEG technology, I realized that it was possible to combine my two passions to develop a solution that could make a meaningful difference. The idea of translating brain signals into physical action felt like the perfect way to give people more independence. I also saw that many BCI solutions were limited to only being used in a lab or a research setting, so I wanted to make a product that could be more practical and accessible to the general public.

This project is also motivated by my desire to show how technology can be a force for good, especially when applied to healthcare. I believe that BCIs have a lot of untapped potential for helping those with disabilities, and this project is my contribution to making that vision a reality.”