Priya Atiyolil
Priya Atiyolil, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and current student at Johns Hopkins University, has received Special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren for her groundbreaking work in biosignal technology. This marks the second time Atiyolil has been recognized for her contributions to innovation, having previously received a similar honor at age 18 from former Congressman James Langevin.
Atiyolil’s research focuses on the development of technologies that translate human biosignals, such as heart rate and brain activity, into usable data. In one of her projects, Convergence, Atiyolil served as the team lead at one of the only National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) laboratories, where she used wireless sensors to capture the heart rates of 14 dancers. The heart rate data was processed through MATLAB in real-time, mapped to specific frequencies, and encoded into MIDI signals, which were then used to generate sound via MAX/MSP software. The result was a live performance where the dancers’ heart rates guided the evolving music. Atiyolil’s team also received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the development of this invention.
In her second independent project, Mindread, Atiyolil takes biosignal technology to new heights by translating brainwave activity into speech. This revolutionary, non-invasive system employs a custom-designed electromagnetic harvester, built with high sensitivity similar to optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) technology. The harvester detects weak electromagnetic fields generated by neural activity from a modest distance, enabling the translation of brain signals into speech-like sounds without direct contact with the scalp. Noise filtration techniques ensure that the system can accurately isolate brainwave data amidst environmental interference, making the process both effective and reliable.
A former teen prodigy in mathematics, Atiyolil has transitioned her exceptional talents to specialize in radiofrequency (RF) engineering for the defense sector. Her groundbreaking research is poised to revolutionize healthcare, defense, and other critical fields, solidifying her reputation as a trailblazer in biosignal technology development.
