International mathematics
New York
Honorable Mention Medal
4th NEO Science Olympiad · Grand Final · August 2026
Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
Habib
Guliyev.
Engineering a world
that includes everyone.
High school senior. Accessibility researcher. SafeTether founder. Filmmaker. An aspiring engineer building tools that remove barriers for people with disabilities.
Research. Purpose. Possibility.
01 / The person behind the work
Curiosity with
a human purpose.
Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
I want to build technology that lets people with disabilities learn, create, and participate on equal terms.
I’m a final-year student at High School No. 4 in Sumgayit, Azerbaijan, with a GPA of 5.0 / 5.0. My work connects accessible computing, SafeTether’s inclusive hardware design, and the voices of children with disabilities. International mathematics, national boxing, and a karate black belt have taught me to pair curiosity with discipline.
As I apply to leading universities around the world, I’m looking for more than a place to study. I’m looking for the rigor, collaborators, and opportunities to turn thoughtful ideas into useful tools — and to leave the world a little more accessible than I found it.
Research
Accessible computing
Service
Children in Azerbaijan
Direction
CS & engineering
02 / Start-up & research
SafeTether
A low-cost anti-theft tracker built for people with disabilities: a tag on the bag, an anchor on the wrist, and an alert you can actually sense the moment they are pulled apart.
Founded July 2026Founder · Habib GuliyevSupported by SUMbuildersWorking prototype
5.1×
higher robbery rate for people with disabilities
33%
of U.S. robbery victims have a disability
45%
of those robberies reach the police
1.3B
people worldwide live with a disability
Sources cited in the paper: Harrell (2021), BJS NCJ 301367; World Health Organization (2023).
The idea
Existing trackers help you find a bag tomorrow. SafeTether makes sure you know — safely — within seconds.
- 01
Bag is taken · the tag moves away
- 02
Over 1 m away · UWB spots it in seconds
- 03
Ask, then vibrate · if the user didn’t know
- 04
Bag stops · the user is guided to it
No phone needed
Tag and anchor work on their own.
Alerts you can sense
Speech, vibration or light, matched to the user.
Ultra-Wideband ranging
≈10 cm accuracy, indoors — where GPS fails.
Help, not a chase
The user stays safe; a time-stamped log is ready for police.
Hardware: Makerfabs MaUWB_ESP32S3 (ESP32-S3 + DW3000 UWB radio), C++ firmware, 3.7 V LiPo. The tag sends distance to Firebase; the dashboard shows it live and logs separations over 100 cm.
| Apple AirTag | SafeTether | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs a smartphone | Yes (iPhone / iPad) | No |
| Built for | Finding lost items | Reacting to theft in seconds |
| Alerts | Phone notification | Speech, vibration or light |
| Checks with the user | No | Yes — asks at 1 m |
| Recovery model | Owner goes to the item | Owner stays safe; help comes |
Progress · October 2026
- Problem researcheddone
- GPS prototype failed indoorslearned
- Switched to UWB — works indoorsdone
- Tag + anchor working, vibratesdone
- Research paper · 11 Oct 2026done
- Location display, yes/no buttonnext
No users, funding or competitions yet.
The research paper · 11 October 2026
When Belongings Walk Away: An Accessibility-First, Phone-Independent Anti-Theft Tracker for People with Disabilities
Pilot study protocol · Habib Guliyev with Tural Suleymanov (co-author; founder of SUMbuilders)
A two-phase pilot comparing SafeTether with Apple AirTag (2nd generation) for blind, low-vision, deaf, hard-of-hearing and mobility-impaired users. Phase 1 validates detection accuracy — 200 staged separations and 40 hours of everyday carry — against a fixed gate: ≥95% of snatches detected, alert within 3 s, at most 1 false alarm per 8 hours. Only then does Phase 2 test, with 18 participants across three disability groups, whether SafeTether shortens time to awareness, improves alert recognition and lowers workload.
A study protocol: no results are claimed yet.
See it yourself · full reads
Live dashboardhabibguliyevv-stack.github.io/SafeTetherCode repositorygithub.com/habibguliyevv-stack/SafeTetherResearch paper (PDF)Pilot study protocol · 34 pagesStart-up presentation (PDF)Overview, product, progress · 12 pagesGitHub profilegithub.com/habibguliyevv-stack
The dashboard needs an approved account (demo login is in the presentation). If the boards are off, it shows “No connection”.
03 / Selected honors
A record of showing up.
International mathematics, academic recognition, and years of discipline in sport.
01 / 10
New York · Summer 2026
Representing Azerbaijan.
Expanding my horizons.
At the 4th NEO Science Olympiad Grand Final in New York, I received an Honorable Mention Medal in Mathematics. Competing internationally meant bringing the work I began in Sumgayit into a much larger room.
27 July–2 August 2026 · International Grand Final
TeenEagle · February 2026
Silver in English,
on an international stage.
At the TeenEagle Online English Language Competition, I received a Silver Medal — a recognition of the English I use every day for research, film, and collaboration across borders.
14 February 2026 · Certificate of Achievement · click the photo to view it
04 / Research & creation
Three paths. One purpose.
Making engineering useful to the people too often left out of its design.
01 / Lead author · Sep–Oct 2026
Hearing the Architecture of Code
AI-Driven Semantic Restructuring of Abstract Syntax Trees for Accessible Code Navigation by Blind Programmers
Pilot studyExploring an AI method that reorganizes code into meaningful structures — functions, loops, and conditions — so blind programmers can navigate by meaning, rather than only line by line.
A proposed VS Code extension, designed to work with existing screen readers. The protocol validates summary accuracy before a planned study with 12 blind professional developers.
Collaborator: Abbas Mammadov, PhD · Instructor, Gonzaga University (USA)
Explore the research02 / Creator, director & actor · 2026
Hear Me
A short film about the importance of engineering in helping children with disabilities live better lives.
The film’s page links viewers to the children’s disability organizations it asks them to support — so that listening leads somewhere practical.
Watch Hear Me03 / Founder · 2026–present
SafeTether
An accessibility-first, phone-independent anti-theft tracker.
Prototype · Pilot study protocolA low-cost tag on a bag, cane holder, or wheelchair pouch pairs directly over Bluetooth with a wristband or pendant. The proposed system detects sudden separation and alerts its owner through speech, vibration, or light — without relying on a smartphone for local detection and alerts.
Belonging tagWearable anchor
Designed for blind or low-vision, deaf or hard-of-hearing, and mobility-impaired users. A tag siren and accessible wearable alerts aim to support awareness and safe response, not a chase.
The planned pilot first tests 200 staged separations and 40 hours of everyday carry. Only after its accuracy gate is met would 18 participants compare SafeTether with Apple AirTag.
Development and study are ongoing plans; no performance results or commercial launch are claimed. SafeTether’s short-range prototype does not replace AirTag’s city-wide finding network.
Explore SafeTetherA short film by Habib Guliyev
Hear Me
Building something is a way of reaching someone.
This film asks a simple question: what happens when we stop speaking about them and start listening to them?
Millions of disabled children around the world face more than physical challenges — they are overlooked, unheard, and left out of school, play, and everyday life. Through real stories and examples of assistive technology, from adapted tools to devices that help children move, communicate and learn, Hear Me offers a small inspiration for how engineers, families, and communities can work together to build a more inclusive world.
@HabibGuliyevv on YouTube
05 / Research article
Hearing the Architecture of Code
AI-Driven Semantic Restructuring of Abstract Syntax Trees for Accessible Code Navigation by Blind Programmers
Pilot study protocolLead author · Habib Guliyev · September–October 2026
Collaborator: Abbas Mammadov, PhD · Instructor, Gonzaga University (USA)
Read the full article
PDF · opens in a new tab
Screen readers turn code into a single, flat stream of speech. This research asks what happens when a blind programmer can hear the shape of the code instead.
The gap · representation
Blind / low-vision share of U.S. population
≈5%
Share of the software workforce
<2%
The gap · employment
Employed · blind or visually impaired adults
44%
Employed · adults without disabilities
79%
Figures reported in article 1: population ≈5%, software workforce <2%; employment 44% vs 79%. Estimates and cited statistics, not findings from this pilot.
The proposed system · AI Accessibility Auditor
From source code to a map you can hear.
Proposed as a VS Code extension, the Auditor adds structural navigation inside the developer’s existing screen-reader workflow.
01 · Parsing layer
Tree-sitter turns Python or JavaScript source into its Abstract Syntax Tree.
02 · Language layer
A language model describes each node and its relationships in plain words.
03 · Audio layer
Descriptions become a navigable, hierarchical audio map on top of the user’s own screen reader.
The pilot design
Prove it is accurate first. Then test whether it helps.
PHASE 1 · Validate
150–200
code elements rated by two blinded engineers
Gate to continue: at least 85% accurate and under 5% hallucinated — fixed in advance.
PHASE 2 · Test
12
blind professional developers
Same people, same code, two ways: screen reader alone versus AI-assisted navigation. Measured by time, errors, comprehension, workload and usability.
Scoped to Python and JavaScript. This is a study protocol; no results are reported. The pilot tests the combined navigation and semantic-summary approach, not the AI contribution in isolation.
In the article’s own words
01 / 06
The full protocol covers the research gap, related work, hypotheses, study design, risks and ethics.
Read the full article06 / Service & advocacy
Listen first. Build second.
Volunteer & interviewer · State Rehabilitation Center for Children with Special Needs, Azerbaijan · 2025–2026.
Presence, not just a project.
Time spent with children with disabilities keeps my aspirations grounded in real people. Volunteering in Azerbaijan is not separate from my engineering interests; it is a reminder of who the work is for.
Interviews that make room for their voices.
Through interviews with children with disabilities, I listen to their experiences and the barriers they face. Their voices belong in the conversation about what better technology — and a more inclusive world — should look like.
“The world becomes better when the people we design for are also the people we listen to.”
Interviews by Habib Guliyev
Let Them Be Heard · eight voices
01 / 10
Disabled Children Organization camp
Let them be heard
Children with disabilities are often talked about and rarely asked. I sat down with eight children and young people at camp and asked what anyone would ask a child: what do you love, who do you look up to, what do you dream of?
Their answers, in their own words, translated from Azerbaijani. Tap a dream to meet the person behind it.
Voice 1 of 8 · Part 1 · 00:17–01:50
Hasan
Seyidhasan
“I want to heal sick people.”
Dreamto walk
- LovesFootball
- Wants to beA doctor
- To other kids“Go out and walk around outside.”
Voice 2 of 8 · Part 1 · 02:54–08:38
Gulsara
“When she's with me, I'm not alone and I'm not scared.”
Dreamto be a dentist
- LovesBeing with her friends, especially Fatima
- Proudest of“Loving Fatima so much.”
- What helpsHer roommate Aybaniz, who never leaves her alone
Voice 3 of 8 · Part 1 · 09:58–12:05
The young artist
name not given in the recording
“My wish is to walk soon, and to be among other children.”
Dreamto become a teacher
- LovesDrawing pictures
- Favourite subjectAzerbaijani language
- Would like to learnHow children want to spend their time
Voice 4 of 8 · Part 1 · 13:42–14:32
Aghasamad
“I'd teach them good manners.”
Dreamto be a police officer
- Looks up toHis dad
- Wants to beA police officer
- To other kidsHe'd teach them good manners
Watch the interview · in Azerbaijani
Voice 5 of 8 · Part 2 · 00:48–06:20
Fatima Rajabova
“Never lose hope. Each of us came into this world with a mission.”
Dreamto open a café under her own brand
- StudiedEvent management, plus cooking, ceramics and confectionery courses
- Motivated byHer dreams, her love of life and her hope
- Would changeMore ramps, easier buses, more rehab centres and camps
Watch the interview · in Azerbaijani
Voice 6 of 8 · Part 2 · 07:04–09:44
Fatima
age 12
“I dance Azerbaijani national dances.”
Dreamto be a good dancer
- HobbiesDancing and drawing
- Motivated byThe sound of music, and dancing
- Looks up toHer friend, big sister Amina
Watch the interview · in Azerbaijani
Voice 7 of 8 · Part 2 · 10:05–16:35
Piragha Maharramov
“My biggest dream is for my eyes to open, to see the light of the world, and to see my mother.”
Dreamto see the world, and his mother
- LovesLiterature since age five or six: poems, stories, fairy tales
- Daily lifeReads books, recites poetry, plays music
- Looks up toMr. Farid, his computer teacher: “calm, honest and joyful”
Voice 8 of 8 · Part 2 · 16:53–21:24
Seyidhasan
drummer
“Understand me in the hall, during a concert.”
Dreamto be a master nagara player
- PlaysNagara and qosha nagara, the Azerbaijani drums, for two years
- Looks up toNagara players Ahliman and Alimovruz
- Motivated byHis dad
What they asked of us
Listening is the first step
The children dreamed of being doctors, dancers, drummers and teachers. Fatima Rajabova also told me what would make those dreams easier to reach:
Ramps everywhere
So wheelchair users and people with physical limitations can get in and around.
Buses you can board
Public transport that is easy to get on.
Kinder looks
Trainings that change how people react when they see someone with a disability.
More camps and rehab centres
Places where young people like them can meet, socialise and grow.
07 / Education & discipline
A foundation. And a next chapter.
Expected graduation · June 2027
High School No. 4
Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
Grade 11 · Final-year senior · GPA: 5.0 / 5.0
2016–2024
Secondary School No. 23
Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
Grades 1–8
Completed 4 October 2026
AI and Machine Learning Essentials with Python Specialization
University of Pennsylvania · Coursera
AI · Statistics for Data Science · Machine Learning · Deep Learning
Discipline that travels beyond sport.
A 1st Dan karate black belt, national boxing bronze in the 52 kg category, and a gold medal at the Cadets Zone Championship in Sumqayit reflect years of practice and persistence. My competitive record is certified in the Azerbaijan Boxing Federation’s archives. In June 2026, the Azerbaijan Boxing Federation’s Secretary General recommended me as an “elite student-athlete.”
1st Dan
Karate black belt
Bronze
National boxing
1st
Cadets Zone
Karate · 2021–2025
Azerbaijan Karate Federation · 1st Dan black belt (Shodan), December 2025
Boxing · 2022–2024
Azerbaijan Boxing Federation · national cadets bronze, 52 kg
Skills & interests
Machine learning · Syntax trees · Accessibility · Python · Film directing
Languages: Azerbaijani (native) · Russian (native) · English · Turkish · Sign Language (ASL)
Certifications
University of Pennsylvania · offered through Coursera. Each certificate can be verified online.
- Artificial Intelligence Essentials26 June 2026
- Statistics for Data Science Essentials27 June 2026
- Machine Learning Essentials14 August 2026
- Deep Learning Essentials4 October 2026
Together the four courses complete the AI and Machine Learning Essentials with Python Specialization certificate, awarded 4 October 2026.
Verify the specializationRecommendations
Rafael Aghayev
Recommendation expectedFive-time world champion · Olympic silver medalist · Karate
Known worldwide as the “Black Diamond” of karate
Azerbaijan Boxing Federation
Received · June 2026Secretary General · Boxing
Recommended Habib as an “elite student-athlete”
Technology experience
Black Rams Uniform
Technology Assistant · Project-based · 2026
Supported digital and software projects; received a Certificate of Achievement for software development and web technologies in May 2026, and the director’s recommendation.
Athletic competition record
| Date | Competition | Sport | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | Azerbaijan National Cadets Championship, Baku · 52 kg | Boxing | 3rd |
| Feb 2024 | Cadets Zone Championship, Sumgayit · 52 kg | Boxing | 1st |
| 2022–2023 | Four additional tournaments | Boxing | 1st |
| 2022–2024 | Schoolboys Zone Final Stage & Sumgayit City Championship · 48 kg | Boxing | 3rd |
| Dec 2021 | Open Azerbaijan Championship, Baku · 40 kg | Karate | 1st |
| 2021–2022 | Four additional open tournaments | Karate | 1st |
| 2021–2022 | One open tournament | Karate | 2nd |
08 / In the frame
The people. The places. The journey.
01 / 10
09 / The next chapter
A better world is
something we build.
I’m ready to learn deeply, contribute generously, and bring an accessibility-first perspective to a university community.