Loughborough graduate and CI user wins UK National James Dyson Award 2026
See Gargi’s video of her story below.
CIICA is delighted to celebrate the success of Gargi Agrawalla, a cochlear implant user and recent Loughborough University graduate, who has been named the UK National Winner of the James Dyson Award 2026 for her innovative invention, SIVO.GO.
Gargi developed SIVO.GO from her own lived experience as a profoundly Deaf cochlear implant user. The portable, smart and discreet system is designed to help Deaf and hard-of-hearing people remain aware of important environmental alerts when they remove their hearing devices, particularly during sleep, showering and travelling.
Gargi’s research with Deaf and hard-of-hearing users highlighted the importance of reliable alerts, portability, strong haptic feedback, discretion and independence.
SIVO.GO brings these needs together in one travel-ready system. It uses on-device AI to recognise consistent emergency sounds, while a separate vibration sensor detects knocks and door activity. Alerts are then communicated through light, screen symbols and adjustable vibration, giving users information without relying on sound.
Importantly, SIVO.GO is designed to work without Wi-Fi or cloud processing and does not require installation by a hotel or accommodation provider. The aim is to give users greater independence and confidence wherever they are.
SIVO.GO began as Gargi’s final year project at Loughborough University. The James Dyson Award recognises innovative problem-solving by the next generation of engineers and designers, with national winners receiving £5,000 and progressing to the international stage.
Gargi will now use the award funding to continue developing SIVO.GO, including improving reliability and manufacturability, carrying out further trials with Deaf and hard-of-hearing users and accommodation providers, and working towards certification and pilot manufacture.
As Gargi said following the announcement:
“It feels immensely rewarding to see SIVO.GO grow from my final year university project into something recognised at a national level.”
Her success is particularly special for CIICA because Gargi has already contributed her voice and experience to CIICA’s Young Adults with Cochlear Implants Agenda. In that work, she highlighted the importance of appropriate support and accessibility in higher education, sharing how the Agenda helped her communicate her needs at university.
Gargi’s journey demonstrates how lived experience can help identify everyday challenges that may otherwise be overlooked and how young adults with cochlear implants can use their experiences to develop new ideas and solutions.
For CIICA, SIVO.GO is an exciting example of user-led innovation: a solution developed not simply for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, but from the lived experience of someone who understands the challenges herself.
We are especially pleased to see Gargi’s work receiving national and international recognition and reaching a much wider audience. Her achievement has also been featured on the UK BBC news – read the report here.
SIVO.GO will now progress to the international stage of the James Dyson Award. The international Top 20 shortlist is due to be announced on 14 October 2026, with the global winners announced on 4 November 2026.
CIICA sends huge congratulations to Gargi on this fantastic achievement. We look forward to following SIVO.GO’s journey and celebrating the continued contribution of young adults with cochlear implants to innovation, accessibility and inclusion.