California student wins $10,000 IEEE Presidents' Scholarship for disability technology
Hollie Tang developed a camera-based system called Tonguage to help people with movement-related disabilities control devices.
Hollie Tang, a sophomore at Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, California, has won the $10,000 IEEE Presidents' Scholarship for 2026. According to the Times of India, Tang developed Tonguage, a camera-based technology that allows people with movement-related disabilities to operate computers and wheelchairs using tongue movements and eye blinks.
The award was presented by 2026 IEEE President Mary Ellen Randall at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in Phoenix in May. Tang's system uses computer vision to track facial signals and convert them into digital instructions. The technology can identify tongue position and movement patterns, while eye blinks act similarly to a mouse click.
Tang designed the system to work with standard laptop cameras to avoid the need for expensive equipment or implanted sensors. She noted that mobility conditions can affect anyone regardless of income or socioeconomic status. The system also includes a safety feature to ignore movements from anyone other than the intended user.
Two other students were recognised at the fair. Partap Sidhu, a junior at Bethpage High School in New York, received a $600 scholarship for NeuroGait, a lower-limb exoskeleton controlled by brain signals. Calvin Shang Hung, a sophomore at El Cerrito High School in California, won $400 for a six-legged robot designed for difficult terrain.
Tang, who intends to study biomedical engineering, said visiting a rehabilitation centre helped her understand the people who could benefit from her work. The $10,000 scholarship will be paid over four years of undergraduate study.