Gargi developed the invention as part of her final-year project while studying Product Design at Loughborough University, inspired by her lived experience as a profoundly deaf cochlear implant user.
When hearing devices are removed for sleeping or showering, environmental awareness is reduced. Existing alerting products can be fragmented, bulky and expensive, often requiring travellers to carry multiple devices or rely on accessible accommodation.
SIVO.GO replaces multiple single-purpose alerting devices with one user-owned, travel-ready system. It uses on-device artificial intelligence to recognise consistent emergency sounds, including fire alarms and doorbells, while a separate vibration sensor detects knocks and door movement.
Alerts are communicated through colour-coded light, screen symbols and adjustable haptic vibrations. The handheld unit can be placed where needed or worn using a lanyard or clip, helping users remain aware during sleep, showering and travel without relying on Wi-Fi, cloud processing or hotel installation.
After conducting research with deaf and hard-of-hearing users aged 18 to 70, Gargi discovered the importance of reliable alerts, portability, strong haptics, discretion and independence from accommodation providers. With more than 18 million people in the UK affected by deafness, hearing loss or tinnitus, Gargi identified a clear need for a compact and affordable alternative to existing systems.
Gargi challenged the assumption that every alert requires a separate product. She explored home hubs, multi-room systems and travel kits before user feedback led her towards a compact, portable design combining sound recognition and direct door sensing.
The working prototype uses an Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense Rev2, a MEMS microphone, OLED screen, RGB LEDs, vibration motor and real-time clock. Gargi trained a TinyML sound-classification model using more than 500 labelled audio samples and deployed it locally, allowing the system to recognise fire alarms and doorbells without Wi-Fi or cloud processing.
The James Dyson Award is an international design competition which inspires and celebrates the next generation of design engineers. Now in its 21st year, the Award has supported more than 400 problem-solving inventions with over £1.5m in prize money. It operates across 28 countries and regions and is run by the James Dyson Foundation, Sir James Dyson’s engineering-education charity.
SIVO.GO receives £5,000 as the James Dyson Award UK national winner to support the next stages of development. Gargi plans to refine the prototype, improve reliability and manufacturability, expand trials with deaf and hard-of-hearing users and accommodation providers and work towards certification and pilot manufacture.
“It feels immensely rewarding to see SIVO.GO grow from my final year university project into something recognised at a national level”, said Gargi.
“I designed it from my own experience as a deaf cochlear implant user, so winning the James Dyson Award means a great deal to me. It gives me confidence that the problem I set out to solve is important and that the idea has real potential beyond university.
“My hope now is to continue developing SIVO.GO through further testing and product development, with the aim of making it something that can genuinely support deaf and hard-of-hearing people in everyday life.”
Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor and President of Loughborough University, says the national recognition is a “fantastic achievement that highlights the potential for student ideas to have real-world impact”.
He said: “We are incredibly proud of Gargi and delighted to see her talent and ingenuity recognised with this prestigious award.
“SIVO.GO is a fantastic example of what can happen when excellent design is combined with lived experience and a determination to solve a genuine real-world problem.
“To see an idea Gargi developed as a final-year Product Design student at Loughborough receive national recognition is a tremendous achievement, and I look forward to seeing where she takes SIVO.GO next.”
SIVO.GO will progress to the next stage of the James Dyson Award, with the international Top 20 shortlist announced on 14th October, selected by a global team of Dyson engineers, and the global winners announced on 4th November, chosen by Sir James Dyson.