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This is Riya Karumanchi, the Canadian high school student who designed the smartCANE, “a device with advanced sensing technology to help the blind better navigate.” At the age of 16 she has already developed this.
Actually, the white cane—that simple tool that helps the blind identify obstacles—was invented by James Biggs in 1921. Until 2018 (?), almost a century later, it had remained the same without any change. “I thought that was insane,” says the 16-year-old.”
Karumanchi taught herself to code in the fourth grade. She also participated in youth innovation programs in Toronto. She believed that Artificial Intelligence could be used in improving the quality of human life. She talked with a visually impaired community and heard their complaints about the white cane. She decided to do something and she did it.
Riya is the CEO of the two med tech. companies she founded; one of the companies is “building an enhanced white cane for the visually impaired to assist with haptic-navigation called artCane, and another developing wearable devices for patient monitoring in retirement homes.”
Meanwhile, some miracle hawkers are in various corners of Africa right now shouting “receive your miracle” and some of our university graduates are responding: “I claim it”, “I receive it” and “I connect”.
This is why our political leaders always feel that they can do whatever they like with us and go free. They steal your mandate before your korokoro eyes and are not bothered about how you feel.
If there is anything we have to receive, it is common sense. If there is anything, we have to get connected to, it is to that device that can return our brains to factory settings. If there is anything we have to claim, it is our God-given self-esteem and dignity, which we have lost for a long time.
Our own young girls are there looking for someone who will buy smartphones for them, whereas teenage girls in other climes are producing smart things that will make life easier for all.
