Introduction
A teenager from Gurgaon has designed a smart device to help patients communicate better. His name is Pranet Khetan, and he is only 16 years old. Inspired by the struggles of patients at a paralysis care center during a school trip, this teen inventor creates affordable AI device called Paraspeak that can turn unclear speech into clear Hindi speech.
The Inspiration Behind Paraspeak
During the trip, Pranet saw many patients having difficulty speaking. They had a lot to say, but their words weren’t clear. Patients with slurred speech, often caused by strokes or conditions like cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s disease, struggled to communicate. Pranet thought, “I can create an AI system that can give their voice back to them.” This thought motivated him to start working on his device.
Building Paraspeak
Creating Paraspeak was not easy. Pranet spent months experimenting and went through many failed attempts. He learned how to code and worked hard to make his idea a reality. Finally, he successfully built a device that can convert slurred speech into clear Hindi for under Rs 2,000. This price makes it affordable for families living in small towns and villages.
Why Paraspeak is Important
- Every year, around 1.8 million people in India suffer a stroke.
- Many of these individuals face speech challenges.
- Current speech therapy tools are often too expensive.
- Paraspeak is designed specifically for Indian languages.
Paraspeak meets these needs by providing an affordable and effective solution for many people in India.
The Importance of Language
Most speech recognition systems are made for English speakers. However, Pranet wanted his device to work with Indian languages. This decision was very important to him. But he faced a big challenge. He said, “My system is designed for languages where little to no dysarthric speech data exists.”
Dysarthric speech data means audio samples of speech that are unclear due to health issues. This data helps train AI models, making them better at understanding slurred speech. To solve this problem, Pranet created his own toolkit to gather samples of speech affected by these conditions in Hindi.
Pranet also plans for Paraspeak to be able to understand many other Indian languages in the future, as long as there is enough data available.
How Does Paraspeak Work?
Paraspeak uses a powerful AI technology that recognizes speech patterns. Unlike many systems that need large amounts of data, Pranet had to innovate with limited data. After gathering audio samples, the device processes the speech in real-time. It translates slurred speech into clear Hindi and plays it back for the listener. Notably, the cost of the device is less than the price of a mid-range smartphone screen replacement. Pranet wanted it to be affordable for everyone, including families in rural areas.
Global Recognition
Pranet’s innovative work has gained international attention. He showcased Paraspeak at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2025, one of the world’s largest science competitions. There, his device won the Fourth Grand Award in Biomedical Engineering. He shared his thoughts on this achievement, saying, “It was surreal. I met young innovators from across the globe, and realised that ideas don’t need to be perfect to create impact. What matters is taking the first step.”
Pranet’s Vision for the Future
Pranet does not plan to stop with Hindi. He wants to make Paraspeak work in multiple languages like Bengali and Tamil, too. He believes communication should not depend on speaking English. And he is also trying to make Paraspeak smaller, so it can be carried in a pocket. This way, patients can use it anywhere they go.
A Lesson in Innovation
For many 11th-grade students, life focuses on exams and grades. However, Pranet thinks differently. “My advice to other students is to keep experimenting. Failures are part of the journey. You don’t need huge labs or big funding to make something useful. You just need persistence and the curiosity to keep going,” he advises.
Pranet is already looking at the bigger picture. He wants to create technology that connects advanced ideas with real social needs in India. His journey is just beginning. Yet, Paraspeak already shows how empathy and innovation can lead to meaningful connections. This young inventor reminds us that technology can truly make a difference in people’s lives.
