An innovator’s path from electronics to AI

By Rakin Anwar

I’ve always been a Science enthusiast. I like to experiment and learn from the field. When I was just thirteen years old, my parents got me an electronics kit, and soon, I became obsessed with it.

Initially, to utilise the components in that kit, I needed to delve into the world of Coding.  I was a beginner, therefore, I wondered if it was beyond my understanding. I tried. After hours of persistent efforts, I made my first project of blinking the LEDs.

Since then, I never questioned myself because I knew that doubting wouldn’t help me. By trying and working, I was sure that I could achieve anything.

After the blinking project, I started working on other components like switches, displays, motors and even sensors. With time, I honed my ability to make these components work in a more precise way.

Over nearly two years of dedicated work with the kit, I started working on IoT (Internet of Things) which has a good scope in the field of Robotics, Automation, etc. And then, during the first Covid-19-imposed lockdown, my friend, S. Krishna Kumar and I, made a sanitiser dispenser with the help of IoT. This device not only tracked the usage of sanitiser throughout the day but also displayed the data on smartphones. It also mailed the same data to any given email Id. This project even won first prize in a competition.

After working with almost every component in that kit, I finally decided to learn Python which is excessively popular when it comes to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Data Science, etc. So, I started learning it. Eventually, I got the basics and I decided to make my own AI Assistant just like a Google Assistant, Alexa, or Jarvis from Iron Man.

I searched on Google how to make one and I found a tutorial for that. But I didn’t want my project to be plagiarised, so I studied the code and modified it. I also connected it to an Arduino Nano, enabling it to control lights on my command. I also added some additional features which helped me to open applications, send emails. After finishing up, I decided to name it ATLA (Atal Tinkering Lab Assistant). It works like a charm.

Presently, I am learning HTML and CSS with plans to delve into JavaScript. At this stage of my journey, my sole competitor is my past self. I always try to make my present better than my past in every way. In doing so, I learn and draw inspiration from others including some of my friends. My passion for experimentation drives me to innovate and surprise people with my creations, consistently exceeding their expectations.