16-year-old Horton High School student Syd West from Kentville, Nova Scotia, has developed a pair of glasses that can detect the frequency of a strobe light and darken one lens, helping prevent an epileptic seizure.
West has been living with epileptic and non-epileptic seizures since Grade 9 and wanted to find a solution to help everyone facing similar seizures. West, who will be entering Grade 12 at Horton High School this fall, is hoping to get the glasses patented and tested for everyday wear to help people with epilepsy have fewer seizures. Her project won a gold medal, a Youth Can Innovate Award, and a research scholarship from the University of Ottawa worth $11,500. She also earned $27,000 in entrance scholarships from universities across Canada.
West showcased her project at the recent 2025 Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF), which is the country’s largest annual event that brings together top young innovators from all across Canada. This year’s science fair took place from May 31 to June 7 in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
West’s glasses can block out light in one lens when they detect certain flashing patterns, which helps change how the brain reacts to the light. West is excited about the response to her invention and hopes it will make life easier for people with photosensitive epilepsy.
