Andhra Pradesh student becomes James Dyson Award finalist with RUDHRA
Lingampalli Himaja, a 20-year-old engineering student from Vishnu Women's University in Andhra Pradesh, has made it to the top 20 finalists for the James Dyson Award 2026.
Her invention, RUDHRA (a voice-activated Braille printer that turns speech into Braille), could make life easier for people with visual impairments.
Winners will be announced on November 4, with £30,000 up for grabs to help bring their ideas to life.
Lingampalli Himaja seeks compact affordable RUDHRA
Himaja came up with RUDHRA after seeing how tough traditional Braille typing can be for students.
When one student asked, "Why should I type when I can speak?" it sparked her idea for a voice-enabled device.
Now representing India on a global stage, she hopes to make RUDHRA compact and affordable so it can empower 50,32,463 visually impaired people across the country.
As she puts it, Himaja hopes to make RUDHRA accessible for everyone.