20-Year-Old Indian Developer Asmi Jain Wins Apple WWDC23 Swift Coding Challenge

New Delhi: Indore's Asmi Jain, 20, was among those selected as the winners of Apple's WWDC23 Swift Student Challenge who created original apps using the Swift coding language, the company said on Tuesday. The app playgrounds represent more than 30 countries and regions, and cover topics as varied as healthcare, sports, entertainment, and the environment.

"We are amazed by the talent we see from the young developers who enter our Swift Student Challenge," said Susan Prescott, Apple's Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations.

"This year's submissions demonstrated not only the next generation's commitment to building tools that will improve our lives, but also a willingness to embrace new technologies and tools, and deploy them in original and creative ways," she added.

While at Medi-Caps University in Indore, Jain found out her friend's uncle had to undergo brain surgery. As a result, he was left with eye misalignment and facial paralysis. Jain sprung into action, designing her winning playground to track a user's eye movements as they try to follow a ball moving around the screen.

The playground's purpose is to help strengthen the eye muscles, and though it was inspired by her friend's uncle, Jain hopes it can be used by people with a variety of eye conditions and injuries. "It was important for me to create an app playground that could positively impact the lives of people like him," said Jain.

"My next goal is to get feedback and make sure it's effective and user-friendly, and then release it on the App Store. Ultimately, I want to expand it so that it helps strengthen all of the muscles in the face, and I hope it can one day serve as a therapy tool that people like my friend's uncle can use at their own pace."

According to her, coding lets her create things that help her friends and the community. "It gives me a sense of independence that is very empowering," she added. When Apple WWDC23 kicks off on June 5, the challenge winners will be among those attending virtually and in person to see the keynote, events, labs, and activities available this year to the global Apple developer community.