Nashua teen builds $1,800 device that turns brain signals to speech

For someone who can speak, putting a thought into words is almost effortless. For millions of people living with conditions such as ALS, severe stroke or paralysis, that simple act can become impossible even when the mind remains fully active. At 17, Nashua, New Hampshire, student Ameya Kharade is working on a way to close that gap without putting a device inside the brain. According to a report by Newsnet Los Angeles, his project, called HALO-Vox, is a brain-computer interface designed to translate brain activity into speech far more quickly than conventional non-invasive systems. What makes the project particularly striking is its price. Kharade developed and tested the system using about $1,800 worth of consumer electroencephalography hardware rather than an expensive surgical implant.