How a Student’s Keyboard Design Is Empowering People with Parkinson’s

Innovation Meets Accessibility
A groundbreaking assistive keyboard designed to improve typing for people living with Parkinson’s disease has been named a Global Winner of the 2025 James Dyson Award. The device, called OnCue, was created by Italian designer Alessandra Galli as part of her thesis project at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

OnCue is the first keyboard to integrate tactile and visual cues that help users manage tremors, slowed movement, and hand “freezing.” “It’s a clever and empowering solution,” said inventor James Dyson, praising Galli’s work for helping people “stay connected and communicate independently.”

How It Works
The smart keyboard blends cutting-edge technology with user-centered design:

• Haptic Feedback: Gentle vibrations through the keys and optional wristbands guide rhythm and assist with reduced touch sensitivity.
• AI Lighting System: An intelligent lighting component predicts the next likely letter and highlights it in green, helping users avoid errors and maintain flow.
• Ergonomic Layout: Inspired by gaming keyboards, the split design reduces strain, and raised key edges prevent mispresses.

Users can customize the level of feedback and lighting through software or physical sliders, allowing adjustments as symptoms fluctuate day to day.

Bringing OnCue to Market
With her $40,000 prize, Galli plans to refine the device’s electronics and partner with occupational therapists and Parkinson’s organizations for further testing. Her goal: to make OnCue accessible to anyone whose motor challenges make communication more difficult.

Learn more or follow updates at OnCueDesign.net.