Student creates mind-controlled toy cars to boost attention span

Dubai - The toys are meant to act as an incentive to students with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

An Indian student in Sharjah has invented mind-controlled drones and toy race cars to help children with learning disorders improve their attention span.
The toys are meant to act as an incentive to students with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as they are required to use their minds to make the toys move - potentially enhancing their concentration skills over time. If the child loses concentration while playing, the toy stops moving.
This invention by Rishabh Java, a Grade 11 student at GEMS Millennium School, is being displayed at the Global Innovation Showcase in Dubai on Saturday. Called AiO Brain to World Interface, Java's product has already caught the eye of investors and he's in touch with clinics and schools to get his invention into the market.
"This is a futuristic method of teaching for students with learning disorders - where students are not able to focus as much as other students. What we do here is give an incentive to the children to concentrate," Java told Khaleej Times.
"We give the students the option of a mind-control car, a drone or a guided rail car. You tell them that if you want to play with the toys and want them to move, you have to concentrate - which acts as an incentive for them to concentrate and build attention span."
The data retrieved from the toy utilisation is stored in a software that can be used to keep track of the child's progress. The invention also has an alerting mechanism which notifies the teacher if a student is focusing on the task given or not.
This is not the first time Java has developed an innovative solution. He previously made headlines for creating a 3D printed humanoid robot that can speak seven languages.
There were nearly 350 other teams also participating in the Global Innovation Showcase, where students were required to pitch problem-solving ideas that would have a positive impact on a global scale.
Michael Gernon, the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Inno vation, Research and Development at GEMS, said that the finalists of the showcase will head to San Francisco to pitch their ideas to investors.
The competition is in partnership with California-based Singularity University. Nearly 40,000 students had initially applied to take part, however, that number has now been narrowed down to 350 teams. Gernon said: "What we've seen in previous years is that some of the companies have come back with offers and patents. So, it's about making connections for the students rather than about a monetary reward."
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com

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