About Ojas & Akshaya

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 Ojas and Akshaya share a bond that goes beyond friendship—they're like family, connected by shared passions and a deep understanding of each other.  Together, they’ve turned ideas into accomplishments, creating memories and a bond that continues to inspire their shared ventures. 

We first met in elementary school and quickly became friends, discovering shared interests and a natural synergy in the way we approached challenges. Our friendship deepened as we began working together on various projects and competitions, with the Science Olympiad being one of the earliest platforms for our collaboration. Through late-night brainstorming sessions, creative problem-solving, and experimenting with new ideas, we tackled challenging topics that pushed us to learn and grow. These experiences not only sharpened our skills but also created lasting memories that laid the foundation for our strong bond.

As we grew older, our partnership extended into the world of FTC robotics, where we joined forces to design, build, and program robots for competition. Working in high-pressure environments, we learned the value of teamwork, effective communication, and persistence. Together, we solved complex engineering challenges, strategized for competitions, and celebrated each success as a team. These shared experiences taught us how to rely on each other’s strengths and support one another, strengthening both our friendship and our ability to collaborate. Through it all, we discovered that our combined efforts were greater than the sum of our individual contributions, making our journey both rewarding and unforgettable.

Our vision is to revolutionize intravenous (IV) access by integrating advanced hardware and machine-learning technologies to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and patient comfort during cannulation, especially in challenging environments such as moving ambulances. Leveraging Ojas's expertise in CAD and hardware development alongside Akshaya's work on the VENUS machine-learning model for vein detection, we aim to create a reliable solution that minimizes failed IV insertions caused by patient movement, bumpy roads, or other external factors.

The inspiration for this project stems from a deeply impactful experience during a ride-along with an ambulance, where we witnessed the struggle and pain of a 70-year-old patient with a blocked catheter. Despite the paramedic's best efforts, the patient’s pain and movement made it nearly impossible to insert an IV line successfully, resulting in prolonged distress and a failed insertion during transport. This highlighted a critical need for a technology-driven solution to address such challenges in emergency medical care.

Through this project, we aspire to bring transformative change to healthcare by reducing failed IV insertions, alleviating patient pain, and empowering medical professionals with innovative tools to improve patient outcomes. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that every patient, regardless of circumstances, receives timely and effective care.