INSPIRED BY GRANDMA: Pune student’s design wins Apple award

For most families, watching an elderly parent or grandparent struggle to hold a pen, sign a document, or draw a simple sketch is a familiar and heartbreaking experience. In Pune, one such personal moment inspired a young engineering student to build a technology solution that is now drawing international attention.Gayatri Goundadkar, a computer science engineering student at Pune’s MIT World Peace University, has developed ‘SteadyHands’, an iPad application designed to help people living with hand tremors regain confidence while drawing and expressing themselves creatively.The innovation recently earned her recognition as a Distinguished Winner (top-50 worldwide) in the Apple Swift Student Challenge 2026, one of the company’s most prestigious global student competitions.

Her work took her from Pune to Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2026, where she presented SteadyHands to Apple engineers and senior leaders, including Tim Cook and John Ternus, the outgoing and incoming CEOs of Apple.The idea for SteadyHands emerged from Gayatri’s relationship with her grandmother, who loved drawing and spent hours sketching with her as a child. However, as she grew older, Essential Tremor – a neurological movement disorder that causes involuntary shaking of the hands – gradually made drawing difficult.

“Some of my happiest childhood memories are sitting beside my grandmother with a pencil and sketchbook. We’d spend hours drawing together. As her hands began to shake, drawing became harder, and one day she simply stopped. That moment stayed with me,” Gayatri recalled.Determined to find a solution, Gayatri began researching existing technologies for people with tremors. While she found tools focused on eating assistance, symptom tracking, medication, and surgery, she couldn’t find a solution specifically designed for people who simply wanted to keep drawing and e x pressing themselves creatively.

That realisation led to the creation of SteadyHands.The application starts with a one-minute ‘tremor scan’ that analyses a user’s unique tremor pattern. Through activities such as holding an Apple Pencil still, tracing spirals and straight lines, and tapping targets on the screen, the app assesses hand stability, tremor severity, precision, and fine motor control.Using this data, SteadyHands automatically adjusts drawing settings including stroke stabilisation and adaptive assistance.

Instead of requiring users to navigate technical controls, the app personalises the experience before they begin drawing. Beyond technological assistance, Gayatri wanted the platform to help users rebuild confidence.The app includes five training exercises designed to improve steadiness, control, precision, and grip management. One exercise, called ‘Corridor Path’, asks users to trace a route while staying within narrow boundaries, helping them practise controlled movement and corrective hand motions.“As much as I wanted technology to help my grandmother draw, I also wanted it to help her feel confident enough to draw again,” she said.Perhaps the most unique feature is the app’s virtual ‘Museum’, inspired by conversations with artists living with tremors. “An artist told me that what he missed most wasn’t painting itself – it was seeing his finished work displayed and feeling proud about it,” Gayatri said.Completed artwork can be showcased in a personalised 3D digital gallery, allowing users to celebrate their creativity and achievements.

The innovation is currently undergoing the patent process, while Gayatri continues to develop additional features and prepare the application for launch on the App Store through a subscription model.“Presenting SteadyHands at WWDC was one of the most meaningful moments. It was inspiring to share a project rooted in my grandmother’s story with people from around the world who believe in the power of technology to make a difference,” Gayatri said.What began as a granddaughter’s desire to help a loved one rediscover a lost passion has now evolved into a promising innovation that could help millions of people with hand tremors reclaim their creativity — one stroke at a time.