An eight-year-old from Cowaramup has taken her talent to the global stage with a design to help improve the lives of people with hearing loss.
Asha Daisy Hodgson recently returned from a trip to Austria after being named one of just 10 winners worldwide in the global IDEASforEARS Children’s Invention Contest.
Hosted by hearing implant technology company MED-EL, the annual competition invites children to develop inventions to improve the lives of people with hearing loss.
Asha’s winning idea was inspired by her mum, who has hearing loss and uses a cochlear implant.
Camera IconAsha Daisy Hodgson 8 at the global IDEASforEARS Children’s Invention Contest. Credit: Supplied
The eight-year-old “engineer” designed a smart sleeping mask connected to a monitor which vibrates when it detects important sounds, helping people with hearing loss stay alert while they sleep.
Asha’s success saw her travelling to Innsbruck in Austria, home to MED-EL’s global headquarters, to join fellow young inventors for a special international winners’ event.
During the trip, Asha met engineers, hearing experts and MED-EL co-founder and CEO Dr Ingeborg Hochmair, while sharing ideas with fellow young inventors from around the world.
“I really enjoyed the winners’ ceremony and had so much fun meeting people from all over the world,” she said.
Asha’s mother, Genevieve Hodgson said the experience exceeded everything the family imagined.
“Before the trip, Asha knew she’d won but she didn’t fully understand just how big it was,” she said.
“Meeting the other children, visiting MED-EL and seeing people from all over the world come together because of hearing technology made the experience incredibly special for our whole family.”
MED-EL Australia marketing and communications manager Clare Tamas said Asha’s achievement was something Australia can be proud of.
“What makes Asha’s achievement so special is that her idea came from living alongside hearing loss in her own family,” she said.
“Her invention highlights some of the practical challenges people with hearing loss can face every day while also demonstrating the creativity and problem-solving skills young people can bring to those challenges.
“We hope her story not only celebrates an incredible achievement but also encourages greater awareness of hearing loss and the technologies that help people stay connected to the world around them.”