Lingampalli Himaja, a student at Shri Vishnu Engineering College for Women, has won the India national stage of the James Dyson Award 2026 for developing RUDHRA, a voice-enabled Braille printer designed to help visually impaired people create Braille documents independently. Himaja, who is from Chintalapudi in Eluru district, developed the device after observing the difficulties faced by visually impaired students while using traditional methods of Braille writing.

RUDHRA allows users to create, edit and print Braille documents through voice commands. Spoken input is converted into text using Alexa, while a Raspberry Pi processes the text and translates it into reverse Braille patterns. A printing mechanism then embosses the required dots onto paper. By automatically producing the necessary reverse patterns, the system is designed to reduce the physical effort involved in traditional slate-and-stylus writing and remove the need for users to learn reverse writing techniques.

Himaja said the idea developed after a visit to a school for visually impaired students, where she observed the challenges associated with conventional Braille writing. She explained that an interaction with one student helped shape the project into a voice-based system. According to Himaja, the student questioned why typing was necessary when spoken input could be used, prompting her to further develop the prototype into a voice-enabled Braille printing system. The device was refined using feedback from visually impaired students.

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The national award is expected to provide RUDHRA with greater visibility among institutions, communities and potential users, while also supporting further refinement and testing of the prototype. As the India national winner, Himaja will receive approximately 5,000 pounds, equivalent to around Rs 6 lakh. The James Dyson Award invites students from 30 countries to develop engineering-based solutions to practical problems, with the 2026 India edition featuring projects addressing healthcare, mobility and other real-world challenges.

ViabilityX, a passive organ preservation and transport system developed by Anvika Shetty of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, was named the first runner-up, while Trike 2π by Shakeel Akthar S of Anna University secured the second runner-up position. ViabilityX is designed to maintain organs between 4°C and 8°C without electricity, batteries or ice, using phase-change material cooling, sensors and a companion mobile application. Trike 2π is a compact electric patrol vehicle designed for confined pedestrian environments, combining manoeuvrability with stability and allowing tight turns within a five-foot radius.

The top three Indian entries will represent the country in the international round of the James Dyson Award, where the final winners will be selected by Sir James Dyson. The award is run by the James Dyson Foundation, a charitable trust established by James Dyson, and aims to encourage young people to pursue design engineering while recognising emerging engineers developing solutions to practical problems.

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