DigiKey and Circuit Digest’s Smart Home & Wearables Project Design Contest 2025 wrapped up with strong participation across India and a clear focus on practical, AI-driven IoT systems that tackle everyday problems.
The contest invited engineers, students, makers, and hobbyists from across India to send in their smart home or wearable project ideas, with a prize pool worth INR7,00,000 and free development boards up for grabs.
It drew 889 project submissions from 2,959 participants, and the jury picked the top 60 entries based on real?world impact, creativity, and technical quality.
Support for shortlisted teams
DigiKey gave the top 60 participants free development boards from Analog Devices, Adafruit and Espressif Systems, so they could prototype using platforms like the ESP32-S3 Box-3 and similar kits.
They also got access to learning resources, sample projects, and step-by-step guides to help them turn their ideas into working systems and document them clearly.
Top?three winning projects
First place – Kavach by Ashish Joy
Kavach is an ESP32-based desktop AI-assisted device designed for elderly users who aren’t comfortable with smartphones or complex digital interfaces.
It uses voice commands, gas/PIR/intrusion sensors, and MQTT-based connectivity to trigger emergency alerts, control home appliances, and support remote monitoring, all aimed at improving safety and independence for seniors living alone.
Prize: INR1,30,000.
Second place – Find My Book by Aman Gandotra
Find My Book is an AI and IoT-powered smart library navigation and inventory system that automates searching for books, issuing and returning them, and even detecting theft.
The setup brings together an ESP32?S3 Box-3 kiosk with a touchscreen UI, ESP8266-driven LED strips on the shelves, Arduino-based RFID readers, and a Raspberry Pi backend running Flask to handle APIs, OTPs, and email workflows.
Prize: INR70,000.
Third place – Gesture Link by Moksha Kumbhaj
Gesture Link is an assistive technology system that helps differently-abled users communicate and move more independently, using gesture?based or gesture-augmented control.
The project relies on embedded AI and IoT to translate gestures or simple inputs into commands for home devices or communication aids, though the technical details are mainly summarized in the contest materials rather than a full public write-up.
Prize: INR45,000.
Additional Recognitions
Beyond the top three, the contest also recognised the ten most creative projects, each receiving INR8,500, underscoring the emphasis on innovation rather than just commercial viability.
Taken together, the shortlisted entries show how Indian makers are using Espressif, Adafruit, and Analog Devices hardware to build accessible, AI-enabled solutions for elderly care, library and education infrastructure, and assistive technology.
Leadership Comment
“The Smart Home & Wearables Project Contest continues to demonstrate the incredible depth of engineering talent and creativity across India,” said Ben Brookes, director of regional marketing for DigiKey. “We are truly inspired by the innovative solutions submitted this year, from practical IoT applications to ambitious wearable concepts that accelerate progress. Congratulations to all the winners and participants.”
