Only High School Team at Yale Innovation Summit Is New Haven's Engineering & Science University Magnet School

NEW HAVEN, CT — The Engineering & Science University Magnet School is proud to announce that Team Sentia, an elite group of seven juniors and seniors, will present their Project Lead The Way (PLTW) capstone project at the prestigious Yale Innovation Summit today.

ESUMS stands distinguished as the only high school team selected to showcase alongside top-tier university researchers and global tech entrepreneurs.

The student team spent the academic year designing and prototyping Sentia, an advanced wearable navigation system for blind and visually impaired individuals. Functioning as an end-to-end “visual prosthesis,” Sentia leverages optical imaging and cutting-edge Vision-Language Models (VLMs) to detect real-time hazards, translating the data into seamless haptic and verbal feedback to help users navigate complex environments with confidence.

Team Sentia is comprised of seven dedicated ESUMS upperclassmen: Raisa Ahsan (Project Lead/Product Design), Ethan Joseph (Technical Design), Tyler Morse (CAD Design), Sedra Mohammed Ali (Research Analyst), Kallianny Gomes (Outreach), Patrick Nardini (External Affairs), and Osmara Quiñonez (Media Management).

"Our mission centers on cultivating the technical skills and innovative mindset students require to excel in STEM," said Dr. Pushpendra Panchal, Engineering Teacher and team facilitator. "Team Sentia has masterfully bridged academic knowledge with real-world impact, developing a sophisticated, AI-driven solution to a profound human challenge."

This opportunity was made possible through the leadership of Principal Dr. Medria Blue-Ellis, as well as mentorship and support from Mr. Peter Dimoulas and the SCSU IHUB team, and Ms. Michelle McQueen and the Yale Ventures Team.