Little KITEs camps: About 15,000 students to develop weather models in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 27 (PTI) As many as 14,804 school students will develop their own functioning weather models as part of the ongoing Little KITEs camps across Kerala.

The Little KITEs is a unique initiative by Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), the technology arm of the general education department, Kerala. It stands as India's largest student Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Network, boasting over 2 lakh members.

The Little KITEs sub-district camps have commenced across the state, featuring the participation of 14,804 students who are learning the scientific methods behind modern weather determination and the functioning of weather forecasting centres, an official statement said here on Saturday.

Selected from over 2.08 lakh members across 2,248 units following preliminary school-level camps, these students are attending two-day sub-district camps held at 225 centres, the statement said.

The camps focus on developing prototypes of weather monitoring instruments through programming and creating digital content through animation, it said.

Formed to foster a culture of innovation and technical excellence, the programme equips students in public schools with advanced skills in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, IoT, and animation, transforming them from passive consumers of technology into active creators.

In the programming sessions of the camp, students are designing their own systems to predict weather conditions by analysing inputs such as temperature, pressure, wind speed, and humidity, K. Anvar Sadath, Chief Executive Officer of KITE, said.

Utilising the robotic kits previously provided to schools by KITE, participants are constructing functioning models of essential weather station equipment, he said.

This includes creating a temperature gauge using LDR sensor modules, servo motors, and Arduino components. Furthermore, the students are developing digital anemometers to measure wind speed and wind vanes to determine wind direction.

In the animation category, students are utilising OpenToonz, a free and open-source 2D animation software, to create content, the statement further said.

Participants are employing advanced techniques such as rotate animation, in-between frame animation, lip-syncing, tweening, and special effects to produce animated short films.

Additionally, the camp covers the creation of 3D models using the Blender software.

Delivering the introductory address at the camp via online, Sadath announced that advanced robotic kits, capable of creating complex systems ranging from moving robots to smart weather stations, will be made available in all schools starting January 2026, the statement added. PTI LGK ADB