17-year-old builds 170 AI glasses to help blind navigate after grandma lost 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.An invention born out of pure necessityAlexander Du never planned to become an inventor. But then he saw his grandmother struggle after losing her sight. He saw the toll of blindness firsthand. She held his arm tightly as they crossed streets. He became her guide, narrating curbs, sidewalk cracks, everything she could no longer see. “It can be detrimental to people’s lives,” Du told Trib Live. “That inspired me.