A 14-year-old from San Diego named Sharvi Mahajan has created an innovative system that monitors brain activity through EEG technology. By utilizing machine learning, her system analyzes this data to identify signs of fatigue. This technology is designed to alert drivers before they doze off, as well as predict microsleep events—brief moments of reduced alertness that can be extremely dangerous while driving. Sharvi has earned a spot as one of the ten finalists in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, which targets students in grades 5 to 8 and offers a grand prize of $25,000. Throughout the summer, she is collaborating with a scientist from 3M to transform her theoretical model into a tangible product. The question remains: should vehicles be equipped with such systems? Advocates argue that it could significantly reduce the risk of accidents, while skeptics raise concerns about potential inaccuracies.
Informational material. 18+.
