San Diego student develops AI-powered system to predict driver drowsiness and help prevent accidents
By Geeta Goindi
October 31, 2026 – Indian-American teenager Sharvi Mahajan of San Diego, California, has emerged among the top three winners of the prestigious 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge for developing an artificial intelligence-powered system designed to predict driver drowsiness and help prevent road accidents.
The 14-year-old student at Westview High School earned national recognition for NeuroDrive Alert, a wearable device that uses brainwave monitoring and machine learning to detect early signs of fatigue and warn motorists before they risk falling asleep at the wheel.
Sharvi secured third place and a $1,000 prize in the nationwide competition organized by 3M and Discovery Education. She was among ten finalists selected through a national judging process that evaluated students’ creativity, scientific knowledge and communication skills.
Five Indian-American Girls Among 10 Finalists in 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge
Her success was also celebrated at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), where she joined the other top winners and representatives of 3M for a special closing bell ceremony.
Photo credit: Colin Ziemer / NYSE
The inspiration behind NeuroDrive Alert came from a serious public safety concern: the dangers of drowsy driving.
Sharvi wanted to develop a system that could detect early signs of fatigue, rather than relying on visible symptoms of tiredness when a driver’s ability to react may already be impaired.
Her system combines electroencephalography (EEG), a method of measuring electrical activity in the brain, with machine learning algorithms that analyze signals associated with increasing drowsiness.
A wearable baseball cap captures live brain activity, while an accompanying smartphone application is designed to issue immediate alerts when the system identifies a rising risk.
By detecting warning signs earlier, NeuroDrive Alert aims to give drivers time to respond safely, potentially reducing accidents caused by exhaustion.
Sharvi’s fascination with neuroscience and artificial intelligence has shaped her scientific interests. In her official Young Scientist Challenge profile, she identified the EEG machine as her favorite invention of the past century, expressing particular interest in its ability to capture subtle changes in brain activity.
She is also intrigued by brain-computer interfaces and their potential to help people with physical disabilities communicate and regain mobility.
As a finalist, Sharvi was paired with Stephanie Owen, an R&D product engineering lab manager in 3M’s Transportation and Electronics Business Group. The mentorship offered an opportunity to refine her prototype while gaining practical experience in research and engineering.
Reflecting on her journey, Sharvi shared a message that could inspire other students to pursue their ideas with confidence.
“There’s a lot you can do when you take an idea seriously and give it a chance,” she said.
The national recognition is an important milestone, but Sharvi is already looking ahead.
According to information shared by her mother, Monali Mahajan, she plans to expand real-world testing of NeuroDrive Alert, improve its prediction accuracy and make the wearable more comfortable and practical for everyday use.
Her long-term goal is to transform the prototype into a reliable safety solution that could help prevent accidents and save lives.
Sharvi hopes to pursue a career combining neuroscience and computing, with aspirations of becoming a computational neuroscientist or establishing a startup focused on the human brain and artificial intelligence.
Her success was part of a remarkable showing by Indian-American girls at this year’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
Raji Doshi, 13, of Farmington, Connecticut, won the $25,000 grand prize and the title of America’s Top Young Scientist for developing a system to combat ocean acidification. Aaisha Asif of Sarasota, Florida, finished second for her research into environmentally friendly adhesives.
Together, the three girls swept the top honors in the national competition, highlighting the accomplishments of young Indian-American innovators.
For Sharvi, what began as a desire to address the dangers of drowsy driving has grown into an ambitious scientific endeavor with the potential to make a meaningful difference.
An online link:
https://americanbazaaronline.com/2026/10/31/sharvi-mahajan-among-top-three-winners-of-2026-3m-young-scientist-challenge-491186/
