Lingampalli Himaja enters James Dyson Award top 20 with voice Braille printer RUDHRA

An engineering student from Andhra Pradesh has reached the top 20 shortlist for the global 2026 James Dyson Award, highlighting India's expanding role in developing practical technology for social accessibility.

Lingampalli Himaja, a 20-year-old student at Vishnu Women's University in Bhimavaram, created RUDHRA, a voice-enabled Braille printer designed to help visually impaired individuals produce printed material without assistance. Instead of requiring complex manual Braille typing, the machine converts spoken words directly into tactile text.

How RUDHRA works and where the idea began

The project originated during Ms Himaja's visits to a school for visually impaired students, where she watched students struggle with traditional Braille transcription. After building an initial prototype, a question from one student—asking why typing was necessary if speech could be used instead—led her to integrate voice conversion features.

Ms Himaja said her long-term goal is to refine the design, make the hardware more compact, and cut manufacturing costs so that the printer becomes affordable for students nationwide.

What happens next at the James Dyson Award

A panel of 12 Dyson engineers based across the UK, the US, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines selected the 20 finalists from entries originating in 30 countries. Submissions were evaluated on functionality, originality, iterative design, and potential for commercial launch.

The global winners will be chosen directly by Sir James Dyson and announced on 4 November. Winning projects will receive £30,000 each to assist with further technical development and commercialisation.

Inclusive technology for national impact

Official data from the 2011 Census shows that 5,032,463 people in India live with visual impairment, many of whom face significant barriers in accessing learning materials, employment, and public services.

Assistive devices like speech-to-Braille systems play a key role in expanding educational opportunities. Innovations like RUDHRA demonstrate how young Indian engineers are applying engineering fundamentals to produce affordable, indigenous solutions for local and global needs.