A classroom curiosity about sound waves during a physical sciences lesson has propelled Hudson Park High’s Anaishe Chibwanda to international acclaim, earning her a silver medal at the prestigious Eskom Expo for Young Scientists.
Competing in the computer science category at the Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF) in Johannesburg from last month in to October, Chibwanda represented the Eastern Cape on a global stage alongside more than 300 young scientists from all nine South African provinces and 12 participating countries.
Her winning project combined physics and information technology to solve a critical limitation in current hearing aid design: directional audio perception.
“Most hearing aids, which already have a basic accessibility issue, excel at amplification but leave the user unable to determine the direction of the sound,” Chibwanda said.
“By introducing computer science, I could apply established math and physics concepts to return a sound’s direction visually.”
Developing the innovative software required relentless testing and technical refinement.
“One of the biggest challenges was getting the different elements of the project to work together reliably and consistently,” Chibwanda said.
“There was a lot of testing, problem-solving, and refining involved.
“When something didn’t work as expected, I had to go back, identify the problem, and try a different approach.
“ That process taught me a lot about perseverance and the importance of testing and improving an idea rather than expecting it to work perfectly the first time.”
Presenting her research to an international panel of judges proved to be both intense and rewarding.
“The time spent presenting was stressful but ultimately fulfilling as I saw the payoff of my hard work.
Looking ahead, Chibwanda plans to refine her software to increase its accuracy for people with hearing loss, with the ultimate goal of producing a fully functional, usable device.
Following matric, she aims to study mechatronics engineering – a field merging physics, hardware, and software.
“It will allow me to continue working with real-world data and physics, and their interaction with sensors and code to create useful systems similar to my project.”
Hudson Park High headmaster, Dennis Vorster, praised Chibwanda’s achievement, noting that her success served as a powerful inspiration for the entire school community.
“We are incredibly proud of Anaishe,” Vorster said on Tuesday.
“To achieve a silver medal at this level is a significant accomplishment and a wonderful reflection of her hard work, curiosity, and determination.
“She has represented Hudson Park exceptionally well.”
Vorster highlighted the school’s ongoing commitment to help pupils translate classroom theories into practical solutions.
“We want our learners to be curious and to take their learning beyond the classroom,” he said.
“Our role is to provide the encouragement, support, and opportunities that allow them to explore their interests and challenge themselves.”
Offering words of advice to fellow pupils inspired by Chibwanda’s success, Vorster said: “Be curious, ask questions, and have the courage to pursue your ideas.
“ Anaishe has shown that opportunities can grow from simply wanting to understand something better.
“ I hope that her achievement inspires other Hudsonians to put themselves forward and see where their own ideas can take them,” Vorster added.
