NARRATIVE

We, the CYBER SEEKER Squad, had the privilege of exhibiting our CYBER SEEKER rover to the distinguished judges and esteemed audience at Balotsav, at VVIT College, Nambur. We dedicated days of hard work to construct our eye-catching Wi-Fi controlled car.

The CYBER SEEKER is a structurally modified Wi-Fi car which consists of a camera module. It can be controlled either by a mobile app or through a web server, through Wi-Fi. The microchip ESP8266, which is programmed to control the car, uses C++ code written in the Arduino IDE.

Once we received permission from our school to participate in Balotsav at VVIT, we brainstormed on what to build and present to capture the attention of the judges. Eventually, we zeroed in on building a Wi-Fi car with a camera module and began the construction process.

Finally, the day of our presentation at VVIT arrived. The presentation site was not ideal, as it was an under-construction area with poor lighting. Initially, nerves kicked in, but as we started presenting to the audience, a sense of relief washed over us. We divided our vocal presentation into three parts, with me focusing on the introduction and motivation behind our project.

Unfortunately, when the judges arrived, the camera module malfunctioned, causing us to quickly come up with an alternative. However, as the second judge joined us, our anxiety abated, and we enthusiastically explained our prototype.

During our presentation, we highlighted that our prototype could be upgraded with fire-resistant and shock/water-resistant materials. We designed the rover to be remotely controlled through a mobile phone’s Wi-Fi receiver and a custom mobile app. Additionally, we incorporated an ESP-32 camera module, allowing us to explore hard-to-reach places. To access the camera, users would need to check for the constantly changing IP address and enter it into a web browser like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

As we eagerly awaited the announcement of the results, we reflected on the dedication and hard work put in by the CYBER SEEKER Squad–Rehan Sharif, B. Thrilokesh, and D. Siddharth Shyam–over the past 10 days.

by

Siddharth Shyam Dokula

Class IX

Written in December 2023