About
There's something magical about building tech that talks back, especially when it can help someone speak for the first time. I'm Chaithanya Heblikar, but most people call me Chai. I write code that lives inside mobile apps and games, with a focus on accessibility, playful design, and real-world impact.
For the past few years, I've been diving deep into Android development, game design in Unity, and accessibility-focused tech. What started with building small health apps has grown into creating full-fledged speech therapy games, analyzing mobility data, and mentoring students through their own tech journeys.
From launching apps like SpokeIt and Healthful to collaborating on AI usability research and broadband analysis, my work blends creativity with a clear sense of impact. I've had the chance to work with startups, professors, and non-profits, and every project has helped me grow as both a developer and a human.
Right now, I'm part of the research team at Northern Arizona University, where I'm leading the development for a speech therapy app.
Experience
to Present Research Software Engineer · Northern Arizona University
As a research software engineer, I led the transition of SpokeIt, a speech therapy game from Swift to Unity, enabling cross-platform deployment and improving performance. I integrated Google Cloud's Speech-to-Text API for real-time feedback and supported authentication through Google Play and Game Center. I also contributed to game research by analyzing ASSETS literature and broadband data to inform inclusive design practices.
- Unity
- C#
- Google Speech-to-Text
to Teaching Assistant · Northern Arizona University
Assisted professors with grading homework and project assignments. Held office hours to aid students in their understanding of core concepts and reported to the professor the extent of their understanding.
- C
- Data Structures
- Web Programming
to Android Development Intern · SecqureAIse Technologies
At SecqurAIse, I developed and launched PluxAI, an Android app for attendance and leave management, within three months. I implemented features using Firebase and Room to support real-time sync and offline access, and applied the MVVM architecture to streamline user interactions and ensure maintainable code.
- Java
- Kotlin
- Android Studio
- Google Firebase
to Project Intern · Hitachi Vantara
During my internship at Hitachi, I worked on cloud infrastructure monitoring using AWS and Datadog. I configured dashboards, alerts, and logs to track system health and application performance, helping the team improve observability and incident response in real time.
- AWS
- Datadog
Projects
OpenAI Subtitle Generator
A command-line tool that generates subtitle files from spoken audio in video files using OpenAI's transcription models.
- Python
- OpenAI
- ffmpeg
MovieFlix
A mobile movie discovery app built with React Native and TypeScript, featuring a personalized movie feed based on user engagement metrics.
- React Native
- Expo
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
- Appwrite
SpokeIt
A speech therapy game built in Unity, designed to support children aged 4-8 with orofacial cleft palate in improving their pronunciation.
- Unity
- C#
- Google Cloud Speech-to-Text
- Firebase
PluxAI
An enterprise Android app for managing employee attendance, leave requests, and real-time reporting, built during my internship at SecqurAIse Technologies.
- Java
- Kotlin
- Android Studio
- Firebase