South Brunswick 5th Graders Win National Contest For Creating Device For Disabled

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ - Five elementary school students from South Brunswick who developed a device to help people using a cane won top prize at a prestigious national competition.

The team from Brunswick Acres Elementary School was named winners in the 2025 Thomas Edison Pitch Contest, a nationwide competition challenging students in grades 4–12 to invent solutions to real-world problems.

The team, "The Brunswick Acres Problem Solvers," comprises five fifth-grade students from the Gifted and Talented Program - Misheeta Agarwal, Shrey Desai, Ashar Kamal, Maggie Kipnis, and Savar Mistry.

Their invention, called the "Obstacle Owl," is designed to attach to a white cane used by visually impaired individuals. The device emits a series of beeps as the user approaches obstacles in their path, helping them avoid potential collisions and injuries.

The students won a 3D scanner for the school, and each of them received a $50 Amazon gift card trophy and a t-shirt. The finals took place on Wednesday at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange.

“It was mind-blowing that this was the first time that we competed in the competition, made it to the finals and won first place,” said Mistry.

Desai said the students were "proud” to learn they made it to the finals and were excited to participate in the event.

Speaking on the inspiration behind the invention, Agarwal said, “When we learned that Thomas Edison was deaf, we wanted to help people who are disabled and make their world better.”

For Kipnis the experience inspired her “to create more products to help other groups of disabled individuals.”

Although the superstars have won the competition, they don’t plan to rst on their laurels. The students now want to work on improving their device.

"We want to add sensors to the side of our design. Also, we would like to add a camera that would use AI to inform the user of what obstacle they are approaching,” said Kamal.

“To make the design more user friendly, we want to change the hardware to a PCB board to reduce the space to house the device. We could use a different printer to recreate the Obstacle Owl using different materials.”

The teachers and mentors of the five students are immensely proud of their achievements.

“This dynamic group of students demonstrated exceptional creativity, dedication, and teamwork in creating an innovative invention called the Obstacle Owl for the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest. From brainstorming initial ideas to refining their final product, the team worked tirelessly, showing a deep commitment to both the process and the outcome,” said Marica Walker, teacher at South Brunswick Public Schools.

“Their collaborative spirit was evident in every stage, with each member bringing unique skills and strengths to the table. Winning first place was a testament to their perseverance, dedication to excellence, and ability to work seamlessly as a team.”

Organized by the Edison Innovation Foundation, the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest is in its 15th year and is designed to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and a love for STEM.

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