Meet Our Team

Joanna Marattukalam

Elena Joseph

Evelina Shaju

Inspiration Strikes

It started in a parked car after we read Invisible Women by Caroline Perez. We were sitting there, talking about data bias, when it suddenly clicked: as new drivers buckling up every day, standard seatbelts weren't actually designed to keep our bodies safe. Once we realized the system was built without us in mind, we couldn't just ignore it.

Elena Joseph

Digging into the Data

We couldn't stop thinking about it, so we started digging into crash statistics, anatomy, and how seatbelts are actually tested. The numbers made it clear that this wasn't just in our heads—the way lap and shoulder belts sit on female bodies creates real, dangerous alignment issues. We wanted to see if we could engineer a simple fix.

Taking a Chance (and Winning!)

With some rough sketches, early research, and a lot of nerves, we entered a local student pitch competition. Winning first place was a huge turning point. It showed us that people recognized the problem and actually believed in the solution we were building.

Getting Professional Feedback

We knew a good idea wasn't enough—it had to actually work safely. We reached out to biomechanical engineers and physicians to walk through our designs. Their feedback helped us refine the clip-on mechanism so it improves pelvic and chest alignment without compromising the seatbelt's structural integrity.

Making it Official

After months of iterations, we filed for a provisional patent to protect our design. Now, we’re launching this site to share our progress, push for better safety standards, and take the next step in bringing AXIS to life.