A London-based robotics engineer has revealed how her ADHD became the driving force behind her extraordinary technological creations, including revolutionary nail extensions that could potentially connect to credit cards.
From childhood fascination to engineering ambition
Eneni Bambara-Abban, a 32-year-old creative technologist, first discovered her passion for engineering at just five years old when she encountered a walking black doll in the 1990s. This early fascination with mechanics led her to systematically dismantle household gadgets throughout her childhood, driven by an insatiable curiosity about how things worked.
Despite achieving excellent GCSE results in science subjects, Eneni faced a significant setback when her A-level results prevented direct entry to the robotics engineering degree at the University of the West of England in 2012. Undeterred, she wrote a heartfelt letter to the dean and secured a place on the foundation engineering course, progressing to the full degree the following year.
Overcoming isolation and finding inspiration
During her university years, Eneni experienced considerable isolation as the only black woman on her course, nearly causing her to abandon her engineering ambitions. Her perspective transformed after attending an awards ceremony at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, where meeting other women in technology inspired her to continue pursuing her childhood dreams.
"I just feel like one of the major things deterring women from getting in and staying in engineering is imposter syndrome, and feeling like they're alone or unseen due to it still, sadly, being a male-dominated industry," Ms Bambara-Abban explained. "But times are changing. I want to show that engineering is for everyone, regardless of gender."
Transforming wearable technology
Combining her undiagnosed ADHD tendencies with her engineering skills, Eneni began exploring innovative approaches to wearable technology. Her condition, which she says caused her to frequently forget essential items, sparked the idea of creating technology that could never be lost.
"I always thought 'Why is tech so boring, so dry, why can't it be fun?'" she recalled. "Also, having undiagnosed ADHD back then, I was always forgetting things, so I constantly thought to myself 'What if I had a way to put a chip inside me for my credit card, my room key, or my uni pass, that I would never lose?'"
This thinking led to her groundbreaking concept of semi-permanent nail extensions with embedded circuits. After initial prototypes using breadboards, she collaborated with an electronics factory in China to create miniature circuits printed on flexible surfaces that could curve to the natural shape of nails.
The first completed press-on nail extensions featured various designs popular with young women and could be programmed to link to webpages or social media profiles. More remarkably, Eneni successfully tested the technology with a dummy bank account, demonstrating its potential for contactless payments.
However, the innovative technologist acknowledges the serious ethical and regulatory considerations. "I like to often recall a quote from one of the greatest franchises of all time – Spider-Man, of course – that says 'with great power, comes great responsibility.' Even if I can do something as an engineer, it doesn't mean I should," she stated.
Inspiring the next generation
Since graduating in 2018, Eneni has dedicated herself to making technology accessible and exciting for young people, particularly those from under-served backgrounds. She shares her projects on her Instagram page @thetechover, which has attracted over 6,000 followers, and founded The Techover Foundation to promote STEM education.
Her work has taken her to schools across the UK, Philippines, and Nigeria, where she demonstrates how engineering can be creative and inclusive. Beyond the tech nails, she's developing smart clothing that integrates with weather forecasts, further expanding the possibilities of wearable technology.
Eneni's journey from a curious child dismantling household gadgets to an inspirational figure in wearable technology demonstrates how neurodiversity can drive innovation. Her story stands as a powerful testament to the potential of combining creative thinking with engineering principles to make technology genuinely engaging for future generations.
