San Diego Student Wins Mott Million Dollar Challenge
Kayley Xu takes top honors with her creation of a low-cost, wearable stethoscope device.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Youth
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Year 12 student Kayley Xu from San Diego has secured the $25,000 grand prize in the Mott Million Dollar Challenge. She earned the award for developing Aucura, a wearable stethoscope designed to make respiratory diagnostics more accessible.
Why it matters
The project aims to improve medical equipment affordability in rural communities and underfunded clinics. It addresses the fact that traditional stethoscope designs have remained relatively unchanged for 200 years.
The grand prize winner received $25,000 for her invention, which utilizes a circuit board that costs approximately $1 to manufacture. This device was tested on a specialized human torso model constructed from molded foamed gelatin.
The players
Kayley Xu
She is a Year 12 student based in San Diego who is recognized for her innovation in medical technology.
Mott Million Dollar Challenge
This is a competitive platform that awards funding to young innovators developing impactful solutions to real-world problems.
The details
To test the device, Xu created a human torso model using foamed gelatin to accurately simulate chest acoustics. She developed the hardware and software for the wearable tool to analyze body sounds, with plans to continue its evolution as she heads to university.
Timeline
October 27, 2026: Award recognition date.
Culture Shift
This device marks a modern departure from the 200-year history of the standard stethoscope by integrating wearable digital analysis. It reflects a growing youth-led movement to solve systemic healthcare inequality through low-cost, high-tech engineering.
The potential future integration of this device into clinics could lower diagnostic costs for local healthcare providers. Residents may eventually see affordable respiratory monitoring tools become a more common standard in local medical facilities.
The takeaway
Innovation often begins with identifying simple, long-standing inefficiencies that others have stopped questioning. Students interested in STEM can implement similar methodologies by using accessible materials to model and test complex physical problems.
Further reading
For more stories on rising innovators, visit the Youth section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times of India.
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