From Zero to Maker: A Journey of Building, Breaking, and Rebuilding
I’m Lavitra Sahu — I started with a small xerox business (my first earnings), tried trading (earned, learned, and lost), got obsessed with problem-solving & coding, found my way into IoT, rocket avionics, robotics, PCB design, teaching, and constant experimentation. No filters, no perfect story — just learning through chaos, curiosity, and constant evolution.
Featured Projects
Behind every project is a cycle of building, breaking, rebuilding, and learning — sometimes it works, sometimes it teaches.
Smart Plant Watering and Weather Monitoring System Evolution
This was my first IoT project from where my real core IoT journey started. It began as a basic Arduino experiment and gradually evolved into a professional IoT solution with cloud integration, custom PCB development, and mobile app control.
⏳ 1 month 💰 ₹5,000 ⚡ Completed
Technologies Used
ESP32 PCB Design Blynk 3D Printing CAD Google Spreadsheet Multiple Sensors
Key Highlights
- Custom PCB design and manufacturing
- Multiple sockets for different purposes (water pump, fertilizers, etc.)
- End-to-end IoT solution from hardware to cloud integration
Autonomous Warehouse Project
My first fully integrated project — where we combined everything we knew: AI + IoT + Automation + Computer Vision in one system. This project made me understand how different domains can work together to create a complete end-to-end product.
⏳ 1.5 months 💰 ₹7,000 ⚡ Completed
Technologies Used
ESP32 AI / ML (YOLO, CNN) OCR (Tesseract / EasyOCR) Python Arduino IDE OpenCV DHT22 & IR Sensors Google Colab / Jupyter
Key Highlights
- Fruit Freshness Detection
- Product Detection & IR Counting
- OCR Extraction of Expiry Date, MFG & Price
- OCR Extraction of Brand & Product Name
- Video Demonstration
Rocket Avionics
My first rocket avionics PCB — the moment I officially entered the world of aerospace electronics. We designed a custom flight computer for our rocket competition (TEKNOFEST). It combined sensors, telemetry, power monitoring, and pyro deployment into one integrated board.
⏳20 Days 💰 ₹12,000 ⚡ Completed
Technologies Used
BNO085 IMU BMP390 Altimeter RTC INA219 MOSFET Pyro Ignition Custom PCB Design
Key Highlights
- Integrated multiple flight sensors and communication modules
- Implemented a reliable MOSFET-based pyro ignition system
Technology Stack
Tools & Technology I have worked with…
I believe true learning happens by doing — building projects, fixing failures, learning from teammates, and sharing knowledge with others. These numbers reflect my journey of hands-on experience, not just theory.
My Journey
This isn’t the usual engineering tale. It’s a mix of failures that almost broke me, choices that raised eyebrows, and breakthroughs that reshaped my purpose. Each chapter adds up to who I’m becoming.
The Misfit Student (School Years → Early College)
Struggled with academics, constantly shifting interests between music, sports, art, and tech tinkering. Explored coding (Python, C++, C, DSA, Data Science) but never stuck for long. Started a small photocopy/printing business in parallel.
→ Learnt best by building, not memorizing
Self-DiscoveryBusiness Experiment & The Great Fall (College Years)
Scaled the photocopy/printing business and made steady profits. Shifted into stocks, F&O, and crypto trading. Overconfidence led to losses. Skipped exams and the business collapsed.
→ 100% financial loss — but gained humility & resilience
FailureThe IoT Spark
A simple IoT plant watering project turned into a learning spree with ESP32, sensors, and I2C communication. Professor Ankit Jain kept pushing with new challenges.
→ Discovered passion for building
Turning PointThe Maker Obsession
Dived into home automation, PCB design, CAD & 3D printing, Raspberry Pi, Jetson Nano, Linux, and AI projects like YOLO implementation.
→ IoT & AI projects built
GrowthHome Automation Startup
Tried launching a home automation business with strong tech but lacked capital and team coordination. Business ended quickly.
→ Lesson: Skills ≠ Business Success
FailureAI on the Edge — Jetson Nano Experiments
Ventured into edge AI using the Jetson Nano — experimenting with YOLO object detection, gesture recognition, and live camera inference. Logged every error, fix, and discovery to build a personal AI reference repository.
From setting up CUDA environments to running real-time classification, these experiments made me confident integrating AI directly into hardware systems.
→ From electronics to intelligence — learned to merge hardware and AI.
GrowthFruit Freshness Project
Built an integrated AI + IoT warehouse management system: freshness detection, OCR, brand recognition, sensors, and automated sorting.
→ First end-to-end system integration
MilestoneReaching for the Stars
Joined the Space Club under the guidance of Sandeep Khare Sir. Built robots, avionics, payloads, fiberglass rocket tubes, and composites. Led teams and taught members. Though we didn’t reach the final stages of competitions, every failure became a lesson — and we continue building for upcoming challenges.
→ Learned rocketry hands-on through failures, teamwork, and persistence
MilestoneBecoming an Educator
Conducted workshops on IoT, PCB design, avionics, and electronics. Taught hundreds of students, sparking curiosity and confidence.
→ Teaching became a source of pride
EducatorLearner of Tools
Gained hands-on experience with PCB plotter, CNC, laser engraver, bench power supply, and test equipment. Learned mechanics, precision, and control systems.
→ Learned the tools that bring ideas to life.
LearnerTeknofest & IN-SPACe / ISRO Insights
Represented our college in two national-level aerospace challenges. At Teknofest (Turkey), we designed a complete rocket avionics and payload system, cleared every major review stage, and received official approval for final launch — but failed at the second-last stage due to coordination and submission delays.
The failure was tough but transformative — it taught me that projects don’t fail because of bad circuits; they fail because of poor coordination. I learned how leadership, accountability, and clear communication matter more than technical perfection.
In the following year, we applied those lessons at the IN-SPACe / ISRO National Challenge, competing in both Rocket and CanSat categories, securing 🥈 2nd Prize (Rocket Competition) and 🏆 Best CanSat Design Award – 4th Position nationally.
→ Turned failure into a framework — learned to lead, coordinate, and rebuild effectively.
MilestoneStill Building, Even When Paused
The Narsimha Rocket Launch with Rocketeers was originally scheduled for 31st January 2026, but the competition was canceled before the final launch phase.
Despite the cancellation, the system was fully prepared — including the avionics PCB that I designed with my team during the IN-SPACe / ISRO competition.
Not every project reaches the sky — sometimes they pause before liftoff. But the learning, design, and effort remain just as real.
→ Still building — even when the launch doesn’t happen.
TransitionTechnical Trainer @ InUnity
Joined InUnity, Mangalore on 5th January as a Technical Trainer. Teaching electronics, IoT, embedded systems, and practical engineering workflows to students while continuously refining my own understanding.
This role represents a shift from building only for myself to enabling others to build with confidence.
→ Learning scaled through teaching.
Professional ChapterPromoted to Program Mentor
Promoted to Program Mentor on 1st March at InUnity.
Currently teaching first-year B.Tech students about Design Thinking, Secondary Research, and Problem Analysis, along with hands-on exposure to various prototyping tools such as IoT, CAD, Vibe Coding, and 3D Printing.
→ Turning ideas into real-world prototypes.
Growth