At an age when most high school students are focused on exams, college applications, and extracurricular activities, five students from Maryland have taken on a far greater challenge: revolutionizing healthcare accessibility in underserved communities. Their brainchild, BetaWave, is a medical communication device designed to connect patients in remote areas with healthcare providers, offering a potential solution to the critical lack of medical access in these regions.
Shyam Modi, a junior at Clarksburg High School, traces the origins of BetaWave to a deeply personal experience. “When I was 12 or 13 years old, I had a trip down to South Sudan. I was visiting my grandparents from my mother’s side, and during part of the trip, we toured a village area. The scenery was really nice, but we also saw a harsh truth — the lack of access to communication and healthcare. People had colds, skin diseases, and other illnesses, but there was no treatment available. It was clearly an underserved area,” he recalled.
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That experience left a lasting impression on Modi. “When I came back, it stayed in my mind. Later, I heard about the Conrad competition, and I brought my friends together. We decided to create something to address this issue, and that’s how our project was born.”
The name BetaWave came to life in an unexpected way. “We were throwing around different names,” said Vayun Amula, a junior at Poolesville High School. “Beta just kind of stuck with us.”
The team later realized that the name held deeper significance. “Beta can actually stand as an acronym for ‘Best Easily Transcribable Application’ for communication in medical settings,” explained Pranav Aravindan, a junior at Poolesville High School. “Wave comes from the fact that we use radio waves to communicate between long distances since these communities don’t have access to Wi-Fi. We also thought about how, in the medical industry, there are sinus waves that represent heart rates, so the name BetaWave has multiple meanings.”
Despite their passion, the BetaWave team faced numerous setbacks. “One of the biggest challenges was time management. With so many assignments and responsibilities, it was hard to find time to meet,” said Amula.
“Another challenge was resources,” added Modi. “Big companies have access to capital for innovation, but as high schoolers, we don’t. Since this is a high-tech product, we needed to ensure it was both efficient and affordable for underserved areas, our primary audience.”
The team initially had ambitious plans to test the device in underdeveloped countries but soon had to pivot. “Shyam has a relative in England who worked for the NHS for nearly 40 years. We showed her a video of our product, and she said it seemed really helpful and could solve a lot of issues in the medical industry,” said Neil Panchal, also a junior at Poolesville High School.
Arnav, a junior at Clarksburg High School, explained how they iterated on the device’s design: “We used Onshape, a 3D modeling software we learned in school and from competitions like FTC. Neil and I have experience with Onshape, so we designed the device around the Raspberry Pi and battery since those were the resources available to us.”
The team has ambitious plans for BetaWave. “Aside from the patent, we want to add features like live GPS tracking, so it’s easier to locate people in need,” said Amula. “We also want to partner with a clinic so that users can have video consultations with doctors.”
Panchal elaborated on potential improvements: “Right now, our device has a screen and a Raspberry Pi that allows users to send medical distress messages. If someone has a burn, for example, the device sends that information to the nearest hospital, which then communicates with the patient. We want to expand beyond simple injuries and include more advanced medical conditions. We also plan to add modular attachments for diagnostics like heart rate scanning.”
The team also aims to integrate sustainable solutions. “Another big feature we want to add is a solar panel to improve battery life. That way, the device can last longer and be more useful in remote areas,” said Amula.
While financial sustainability is a factor, the team’s primary focus remains on impact. “Any successful business should include three things: planet, profit, and people. This project ticks all those boxes,” said Modi. “For the planet, it’s environmentally conscious and can adapt to different temperatures. For people, it’s helping connect medical agencies with underserved communities, bridging a much-needed gap in healthcare.”
While they acknowledge the need for funding, the students prioritize working with humanitarian organizations and governments over seeking pure profit. “Right now, I don’t see Beta Wave in Shark Tank. I see it as a humanitarian initiative,” Modi emphasized. “We’d want investors, but ideally, we’d be working with humanitarian organizations or governments.”
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Each team member plays a unique role. “I focus mainly on design—bringing this product to life and figuring out how it would work in the real world,” said Arnav.
Modi identifies as the “idea” person, handling financial aspects and marketing, while Amula focuses on business outreach and partnerships. Aravindan takes charge of programming, ensuring the Raspberry Pi functions properly, and Panchal oversees public relations and product innovation.
As they navigate high school and college aspirations, the team remains steadfast in their mission. “Our destination is for BetaWave to be available in every underserved community, ensuring they have the same medical access that we have in America,” said Panchal.
With ingenuity, passion, and a shared commitment to social impact, these young innovators are proving that age is no barrier to making a difference in the world.