A question posed by a visually impaired student in Bhimavaram—“Why should I type when I can speak?”—inspired 20-year-old engineering student Lingampalli Himaja to develop RUDHRA, a voice-enabled Braille printer, which has recently been shortlisted among the global top 20 finalists for the James Dyson Award 2026.
Ms. Himaja, a student of Vishnu Women’s University in Bhimavaram, developed the device to help visually impaired people create Braille documents independently, eliminating the complexities involved in conventional Braille typing. Her innovation seeks to make writing more accessible and intuitive by enabling users to convert spoken words into Braille.
“The idea took shape during my visit to the school for visually impaired students, where I observed the difficulties they faced while writing in Braille,” she said, speaking to The Hindu on Saturday (October 17, 2026). After developing an initial prototype, the question raised by one of the students prompted her to refine the concept into a voice-enabled printer.
“RUDHRA” will now advance to the final stage of the James Dyson Award, where its potential will be assessed by Sir James Dyson, she said, adding that the global winners were scheduled to be announced on November 4. The winning inventions will receive £30,000 each to support further development and commercialisation of their project.
Expressing happiness over the recognition, Ms. Himaja said being shortlisted for the award was a proud moment and an opportunity to represent India on an international platform. “I am hopeful that the recognition would help take RUDHRA to a wider audience,” she said.
Her long-term goal is to make the device more compact, technologically advanced and affordable, enabling visually impaired students to use it independently.
According to the 2011 Census, India has 50,32,463 persons with visual impairment, many of whom encounter barriers in accessing education, healthcare, and employment. Assistive technologies, including screen readers that convert digital content into speech, play a significant role in improving access to information and educational resources.
Ms. Himaja aims to develop RUDHRA into a student-friendly product by optimising its materials and manufacturing processes to reduce costs and improve accessibility.
The global finalists were selected by a panel of 12 Dyson engineers based in the UK, the US, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. The entries were evaluated on functionality, originality, design process and commercial viability. The James Dyson Award invites students from 30 countries to develop practical, innovative solutions to real-world problems using engineering principles. The 2026 edition saw young innovators present ideas aimed at addressing pressing societal challenges.
Published - October 17, 2026 08:48 pm IST