Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science

The 2024-2025 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams were selected by a panel of esteemed judges after several months of researching problems within their community that could be addressed with a technological solution. Teams will continue to learn more about the problems they selected in the first half of the grant year. Technological solutions will be prototyped, tested, and modified in the second half of the grant year. The technological solutions—inventions—will be showcased at MIT during EurekaFest, June 9-11, 2025. Team progress can be followed through Inside InvenTeams, a monthly newsletter.

Problem Statement:

Significant progress has been made in the development of technologies and resources for people with disabilities. However, accessibility remains unequal, with those affected facing daily challenges and restrictions that often go unnoticed by others without disabilities. Vision is a primary means of absorbing information and understanding the world around us, yet millions of people cannot rely on sight alone. For Visually Impaired People (VIPs), these challenges demand creative solutions, enabling them to navigate and thrive in a society that frequently overlook their needs. Braille-focused assistive technologies designed for VIPs foster learning and autonomy but can be limited in functionality and expensive to purchase. Our InvenTeam will focus our technological solution on a lower cost Braille-centered invention important in the education of younger VIPs.