- Radhika Saran, one of the three co-creators of Rumble Rims, grew up in India as an architect and later pursued higher studies abroad. She is currently enrolled in Harvard University’s Master’s in Design Engineering Programme.
Radhika Saran, an Indian-origin student at Harvard University, has won the James Dyson Award 2026 for creating a low-cost headset, Rumble Rims, with her project partners Cleo Pontone and Sophia DeVito.
Selected by James Dyson for the Global Medical category, Rumble Rims uses infrared cameras to track an athlete’s eye movements. The technology is designed to provide an objective screening of possible neurological impairment following a head injury. For this invention, the team has won $40,000 (approximately Rs 37 lakh) to accelerate the development of the technology.
Radhika Saran grew up in India and trained as an architect before pursuing higher studies abroad. She is currently enrolled in the Master’s in Design Engineering Programme at Harvard University.
How does Rumble Rims work?
Rumble Rims is designed to make concussion screening easier and more accessible, particularly for schools, youth sports teams and grassroots-level athletes.
The headset conducts a two-to-three-minute test during which infrared cameras measure how an athlete’s eyes follow objects, focus, and move. These measurements are processed and displayed on a mobile screen, providing real-time guidance to help coaches and trainers decide whether an athlete should be removed from play and referred for medical assessment.
The device also has a recovery dashboard that allows repeated testing over time. This can help athletes, families and healthcare professionals monitor recovery before an athlete returns to sports.
However, Rumble Rims is intended to be a screening tool and not a diagnostic device. Decisions regarding an athlete’s return to play remain dependent on qualified healthcare professionals.
The James Dyson Award is an international design competition that recognises innovative inventions created by students and future engineers. The competition witnessed 2,294 entries from 28 countries and regions this year.
Speaking about the achievement, Saran said the award recognises the team’s belief that existing problems can be accepted as it stand today, rather it should be solved through better design and accessible technology. She also highlighted the need to take concussion risks in youth sports more seriously because of their possible long-term impact.
