02.
SOUND & PHYSICS
Adaptive-Audio Headphones
Inventor & Systems Developer
The idea for my adaptive-audio headphones began with a simple observation: the same music could comfort one person but distract another. In February 2026, I started exploring why our brains respond differently to sound, spending evenings comparing binaural beats, white noise, and different frequency patterns. I remember testing a low-frequency track while studying Physics, only to realize that the sound I had labeled “relaxing” actually made me restless. That contradiction changed my approach. Instead of searching for one perfect sound, I developed over 30 audio profiles for sleep, concentration, stress relief, and anxiety reduction. I gradually understood that designing therapeutic audio was less about composing pleasant sounds and more about recognizing how differently people experience the world.
Turning those ideas into working headphones was far more complicated than I expected. During one late-night test, my Android application recommended a calming audio track even though the smartwatch data indicated an elevated heart rate. I spent hours checking the sensor readings, Bluetooth connection, and LLM recommendation logic before discovering that the system was relying too heavily on listening history. After adjusting how physiological signals and user feedback were evaluated, I redesigned the headphone casing in Shapr3D and printed several versions to improve its fit. By July 2026, I had assembled a functional prototype connecting biometric monitoring, AI recommendations, and personalized audio. The experience taught me an important engineering lesson: a technically successful system is not necessarily a useful one until it responds to real human needs.
Adaptive Resonance Speaker
Inventor & Acoustic Systems Designer
In March 2025, I became fascinated by a simple question: could a speaker produce louder sounds without consuming more electricity? I began experimenting with quarter-wave resonance, building three adjustable tubes to amplify different frequencies. My first prototype produced inconsistent results, and I spent several afternoons adjusting tube lengths and testing sound waves. Watching the measured resonance peaks gradually approach my theoretical calculations was surprisingly exciting. For the first time, equations from my Physics lessons became something I could hear, measure, and physically control through engineering.
The most meaningful part came when I imagined using my speaker to introduce acoustic physics to younger students. Instead of explaining resonance through formulas alone, I wanted them to adjust the tube length, observe changing frequencies, and discover the relationship themselves. I envisioned a classroom where students could experiment with the ESP32 controls and compare their predictions with actual measurements. This project changed how I understood science education: curiosity grows when students can challenge theoretical knowledge through experiments, rather than simply memorize the correct answers.
Soundwave Science Club
Founder & President
When I founded Soundwave Science Club in December 2025, I wanted to create a place where students could explore physics without expensive laboratory equipment. Our first meeting brought together 12 members with different interests, from music and electronics to psychology. I brought my Adaptive Resonance Speaker and demonstrated how changing the length of a tube could amplify certain frequencies without increasing electrical power. Instead of beginning with formulas, I asked everyone to predict what would happen. Their answers were surprisingly different, and the room quickly filled with discussion. That afternoon, I learned that leading a science club meant encouraging questions rather than providing answers.
One of my favorite experiences was bringing acoustic experiments to children in three mountainous provinces. During our 14 workshops, we used glass bottles, rubber bands, strings, Bluetooth speakers, and vibration motors to explain sound waves. I remember a student carefully adding water to a bottle, then smiling when its pitch changed. Another group watched the frequency readings on Spectroid while experimenting with different sounds. Across the workshops, we reached more than 100 children, helping them understand frequency, amplitude, resonance, and standing waves. I realized that meaningful science education did not require sophisticated equipment. Sometimes, an ordinary bottle could make an unfamiliar scientific concept unforgettable.
I had always wondered why some people studied better with background noise while others preferred silence. To investigate, our club designed an attention experiment involving 100 participants aged 12 to 25. Each person completed a five-minute keyboard task, pressing a key whenever the number seven appeared, under four listening conditions. We recorded their responses and compared accuracy across silence, white noise, brown noise, and binaural beats. Brown noise produced the highest average accuracy at 87%, compared with 82% in silence. What fascinated me was how something as ordinary as background sound could produce measurable differences in attention, even though our experiment could not establish causation.
Our two Sound & the Brain webinars allowed me to explore questions that our experiments could not fully answer. Working with alumni from Northeastern University, we introduced more than 200 secondary and high school students to psychoacoustics, music therapy, brainwave synchronization, and sound signal analysis. I particularly enjoyed preparing explanations of how computers transform sound into measurable data and how simple AI tools might help identify patterns. During the discussions, students asked whether music could improve memory or whether certain frequencies could reduce stress. I could not answer every question, but I discovered something more valuable: scientific communication begins by acknowledging uncertainty and inviting others to investigate.
Institute of Tropical Architecture
Hanoi Architectural University
Intern
During my internship at the Institute of Tropical Architecture, I discovered that urban noise was more than an environmental statistic. At five busy intersections and industrial sites in Hanoi, I used a RION NL-21 sound-level meter to record noise levels, sometimes struggling to distinguish traffic sounds from nearby factory machinery. My most memorable assignment involved analyzing the residential area at 54 Hạ Đình, where I mapped three noise-exposure zones and examined how building arrangements influenced sound propagation. I explored practical solutions, including acoustic barriers, green buffers, and building setbacks. This experience changed how I understood architecture: buildings do not simply occupy space; their arrangement can shape what residents hear every day. I learned to connect acoustic measurements with the everyday comfort of urban communities.
Zix Education
Part-Time Physics Instructor
Teaching physics at Zix Education taught me that understanding a concept and explaining it are entirely different challenges. During one optics lesson, I noticed students memorizing reflection formulas without understanding how light actually traveled. Instead of repeating the equations, I demonstrated the principle using mirrors and a flashlight. Their questions soon replaced their confusion. Across 21 experimental sessions and weekly classes for 80+ students, I learned to turn abstract theories into accessible experiences. Seeing 38 students pass specialized Physics entrance examinations was especially rewarding, but their growing curiosity mattered even more.
Glopan Investment Consulting JSC
GIS & Urban Planning Intern
During my internship at Glopan, I discovered that urban planning involves more than interpreting maps. While reviewing 15,000+ survey responses from Kim Lien residents, I noticed how frequently people mentioned the lack of green spaces. Using ArcGIS Pro, I compared population density, vegetation, traffic, and air quality across three urban areas, exploring where additional parks could make the greatest difference. Seeing residents’ concerns reflected in geographical data changed my perspective: effective urban planning requires balancing technical evidence with the everyday needs of communities.