Teen Invents $1,800 Brain-Computer Interface to Translate Thought into Speech
Seventeen-year-old Ameya Kharade from Nashua has built a low-cost, non-invasive system that converts brain activity into spoken words at speeds rivaling surgical implants.
Ameya Kharade, a 17-year-old student from Nashua, New Hampshire, created HALO-Vox, a brain-computer interface that translates neural signals into spoken language without surgery. Using roughly $1,800 of off-the-shelf EEG equipment, the system focuses on decoding the user’s intended meaning rather than spelling out letters, reaching about 65 words per minute in over 100 trial sessions. Kharade built the theory, algorithms and code himself, documented his work in a sixty-page paper and ensured safety by preventing unintended words.
He has open-sourced the platform, filed a patent for accessibility, and launched the company Lucen to bring the technology to a global market. The innovation earned him the 2026 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes and could offer a low-cost communication solution for people with ALS, severe stroke or paralysis.
Why it matters
A cheap, non-invasive brain-computer interface could give millions who cannot speak a fast, affordable way to communicate.
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