Turning Brainwaves into Movement: One Signal at a Time
Abigail is a high school student with a bold idea: to help people with spinal cord injuries regain mobility—without surgery.
Through her project, ThinkNet, Abigail will design a brain-computer interface (BCI) that translates brain signals into movement. The system will use EEG technology to control assistive devices—starting with a bionic arm—in real time. Inspired by the story of a man living with paraplegia, Abigail wants to create something that could improve independence and everyday quality of life for people with limited mobility.
What makes ThinkNet stand out is its focus on accessibility. While many BCI systems today are expensive, invasive, or require complex training, Abigail’s design will aim to be affordable, non-invasive, and easier to use—opening the door for more people to benefit from the technology.
With support from the Youth Creativity Fund, Abigail will improve the system’s current accuracy (from 91% to 95%) and purchase upgraded EEG biosensing hardware. The funding will also support new processing boards and higher-density sensors to improve signal quality. In the future, she hopes to integrate the system with a full-body exoskeleton for expanded mobility support.
Throughout the project, Abigail will continue building skills in AI, biomedical engineering, and neuroscience—all areas she hopes to pursue after high school. She plans to apply to programs like pre-med at the University of Waterloo or Life Sciences at McMaster University.
“I think a lot of the skills that I learned in this project were mainly hard skills—problem-solving, coding, and understanding the neural pathways between the brain and spine,” Abigail shared in her video.
She added, “ThinkNet is my passion project because it allows me to delve into fields that I am passionate about—like the integration of engineering into medication through diagnosis and rehabilitation.”
As she develops ThinkNet, Abigail will be reaching out to mentors, exploring 3D printing options for prototyping, and refining her research design.
The Youth Creativity Fund is proud to support her journey as she explores the future of brain-computer interfaces—and brings powerful ideas to life.