Meet Alexander Du, the 17-year-old Sewickley student who built $170 AI-powered glasses to help visually impaired users navigate after his grandmother lost her sight
- Alexander Du, a 17-year-old student from Sewickley, Pennsylvania, has been named a 2026 Presidential AI Challenge National Champion for inventing IRIS, an AI-powered wearable designed to help blind and visually impaired people navigate their surroundings.
- The teen built the $170 system after watching his grandmother struggle to navigate the world differently after losing her sight.
- The lightweight, discreet glasses he developed act as a virtual guide dog, helping users detect obstacles and navigate around them using physical vibrations.
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- Alexander Du, a 17-year-old student from Sewickley, Pennsylvania, has been named a 2026 Presidential AI Challenge National Champion for inventing IRIS, an AI-powered wearable designed to help blind and visually impaired people navigate their surroundings.
- The teen built the $170 system after watching his grandmother struggle to navigate the world differently after losing her sight.
- The lightweight, discreet glasses he developed act as a virtual guide dog, helping users detect obstacles and navigate around them using physical vibrations.
Sources: Times of India