University of Sunderland graduate recognised for her pioneering VR platform for autistic children

A graduate from the city's university has seen her pioneering work recognised after devising a virtual reality platform to prepare autistic children and those with other special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) ahead of visiting new places.

Vijayalakshmi Subramani (VJ) was inspired to create the pioneering technology after being inspired by her own five-year-old autistic son, Jameskarthik.

Autistic children can struggle with change and adapting to new places. VJ harnessed the power of VR to enable the children to be immersed in the experience of new locations and to feel comfortable with the surroundings before visiting them in person.

In 2021 VJ set up TeenyWeenyVR and went on to receive a £50,000 cash boost from Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Awards, as well as mentoring and coaching to scale up her product. VJ said: "This is a recognition of a personal mission born from the heart of a mother's love. This funding celebrates the journey that started with my son, Jameskarthik, and his interaction with VR technology to soothe his anxiety and in helping transitions through visit preparations in VR.

"Having received this award was an incredible honour and a testament to the potential impact of my innovation which helps children with SEND.

“This award had already significantly accelerated our development, allowing us to expand our content, reach more children, and further our goal of making education inclusive and accessible through our continued engagement with the stakeholders nationally and internationally. 

"It is an affirmation that our work can create ripples of positive change for the SEND community, propelling us to widen our reach and deepen our impact.”

VJ graduated from the University of Sunderland with a Master’s in MSc Environment, Health and Safety in 2020.

Last week she returned to the university's City Campus to see an official plaque unveiled in honour of her trailblazing work.

VJ said: "This is where I studied and learned a lot, not just in the classroom, but about life and chasing dreams. It is where I was acknowledged as Student of the Year 2019 which boosted my confidence immensely and propelled me to advance my vision as an innovator today.

“To have this honour in a place that gave me so much is really special. It's like saying thank you to a place that helped me grow and start my journey to help others. It truly feels like coming full circle.”

Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland, Sir David Bell, said: “VJ is an outstanding graduate of the University of Sunderland and so we are delighted to have her achievements recognised publicly. To have an Innovate UK purple plaque unveiled in her honour is a singular achievement for VJ and we are proud to call her one of our own.

“We will, of course, continue to follow VJ’s career with great interest and look forward very much to seeing how her creative talents evolve in the future as she designs the next generation of VR-based edutainment products.”