Andhra rural students shine at hackathon. Here's what they did

A group of eight students from rural Andhra Pradesh, winners of Hack to the Future Andhra 2025, developed SoilMate, an AI-powered app and device designed to assess soil health and recommend optimal crops.

Equipped with moisture, NPK, and rain sensors, SoilMate enables farmers to test soil without relying on laboratory reports. “Even those without access to labs can test soil with our device,” said CH Jhanavi, a Class-9 student. “Our aim is to help farmers increase profits while keeping soil healthy.” The innovation targets rural farmers, offering a practical solution to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability.

EduCompanion: Revolutionising personalised learning

Another standout project, EduCompanion, is a personalised learning platform that delivers step-by-step explanations across various subjects and languages, making education more accessible and engaging. “In Bengaluru, we developed the app further using Google AI Studio. We explored visuals, voice-to-text features, quizzes, and games to make learning more interactive,” shared P Sai Roshini, a Class-10 student and EduCompanion team member. The platform aims to transform how students engage with complex concepts, fostering interactive and inclusive learning experiences.

CycleSathi: Supporting adolescent girls’ health

The students also created CycleSathi, a privacy-focused menstrual health tracker designed to raise awareness and support adolescent girls. The tool includes a bracelet that monitors body temperature, heart rate, and motion to track menstrual health in real time. “It’s no longer just a plan in my notebook – it becomes a tool that gives shy students the courage to ask questions,” said Sandhya Rani, a Class-10 student and CycleSathi team member. “The bracelet tracks your health in realtime, helping girls understand their body and feel supported.” The team is actively working on developing the bracelet further.

Hands-on innovation at Amazon’s makerspace lab

From September 23-26, the students travelled to Bengaluru to refine their AI prototypes at the Amazon Future Engineer Makerspace Lab. This facility provided hands-on learning opportunities in AI, robotics, and 3D printing, with mentorship from Amazon engineers. At the lab, the students enhanced their prototypes, tested hardware, integrated AI models, and developed plans for pilot programs to implement their solutions in their communities, turning their innovative ideas into functional tools.