Teen Invents Gadget To Help Dementia Patients Like His Grandmother

 

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A post shared by Hemesh Chadalavada (@hemeshch)

In 2018, when Hemesh Chadalavada was 12 years old, his grandmother forgot to turn off the gas after she made herself a cup of tea. This experience caused Hemesh to spend hours on YouTube learning about robotics in order to figure out if he could create a device that would detect these accidents in case he wasn't there. The research ultimately led the teenager to invent the ALpha Monitor, a badge-like device designed for dementia patients that sends out an alert if the person wearing it falls or wanders off.

Hemesh developed the device with information from a care center run by the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India. In 2022, he beat 18,000 other entries and won a $120,000 grant in a Samsung-sponsored science fair. This resulted in the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, posting on X (formerly Twitter) that he “really admired” Hemesh.

Even though Hemesh's grandmother, Jayasree, passed away in 2023 from Alzheimer's, the young inventor's ALpha Monitor has the potential to improve the lives of the more than 55 million people living with dementia today. The teenager will finish the exam season in March and then will devote all of his time to getting the ALpha Monitor on the market by September. After the device is for sale, Hemesh plans to go abroad to study robotics.

Those interested in keeping up with the ALpha Monitor's production and Hemesh's career can visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

A teenager named Hemesh Chadalavada has invented a badge-like device for dementia patients that will send out an alert if the patient falls or wanders off.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hemesh Chadalavada (@hemeshch)

Here he is in 2020, introducing the ALpha Monitor.

His innovative prototype made him a top 10 finalist of the competitive Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow Challenge

 

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A post shared by Hemesh Chadalavada (@hemeshch)

In fact, Hemesh beat out 18,000 applicants and won the whole competition.

 

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A post shared by Hemesh Chadalavada (@hemeshch)

Hemesh Chadalavada: Website | Instagram | YouTube
h/t: [Good News Network]

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Sarah Currier

Sarah Currier is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Based in central Iowa, she is currently enrolled at Iowa State University and is working toward a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in English. She loves all things creative, and when she’s not writing, you can find her immersed in the worlds of television, film, and literature.
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