KU student’s smart wheelchair project wins second place at national innovation fair
A low-cost, multimodal AI-powered wheelchair control system developed by a Khulna University (KU) student secured second place in the individual category at the Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026.
According to a press release, the project, titled "Smart Wheelchair", was developed by Azmain Inquaid Haque, a KU Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) student and the project's team leader.
Supervised by KU Innovation Hub Director Dr GM Atiqur Rahman, the project aims to make powered wheelchair controls more accessible to people with physical disabilities.
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The system offers an alternative for people who cannot operate a conventional wheelchair joystick, allowing users to control the wheelchair using body parts they can move.
The project advanced through several selection stages at the national fair, moving from an initial pool of 963 projects to the top 50, then the top 10, before securing second place in the individual category.
The Ministry of Science and Technology organised the three-day Bangladesh Innovation Fair 2026 under the themes "Innovate to Market" and "Innovation Ecosystem Toward Trillion Dollar Economy".
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the fair at Novo Theatre in Dhaka on 12 September.
Azmain Inquaid Haque demonstrated the Smart Wheelchair to the prime minister during the event, and the release said the prime minister expressed support for the project and pledged to facilitate links with the ICT Ministry and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for its further development.
"The initial version of the technology can be developed at a cost of approximately Tk30,000. The relatively low development cost is intended to make the technology more accessible and provide a practical alternative for people who face difficulties using conventional wheelchair controls," Azmain said.
Finance and Planning Adviser to the Prime Minister Professor Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir presented prizes at the closing and prize-giving ceremony on Monday, 14 September.
ICT Division Secretary Md Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan attended the programme as the special guest.
KU was also recognised as one of the top five universities at the fair, where nine teams presented their innovations.
The participating projects were Smart Wheelchair, Neo Saver, AI-based Campus Security, Bliss Sihat, High Voltage Energy-Efficient 3D Printer, Ecolink, AI-powered ECG Screening Device, True-Sight and Urban Earth.
The KU Innovation Hub director said the University Innovation Hub Programme selected, mentored and funded the teams, and also trained them to present their innovations at the national level.
"The success of the KU teams at this prestigious national event is the result of the hub's continued efforts to nurture and support innovative ideas," he said.
