An individual science item in which a student builds an Internet-of-Things project that senses, communicates and acts, judged out of 100 at Kerala Sasthrolsavam science fairs.
IOT, short for Internet of Things, asks a student to build a device that senses something, sends the data over a network and triggers an action or a display. A smart plant monitor that reports soil moisture to a phone, a door sensor that sends an alert or a weather node that logs temperature are typical examples.
In the Kerala School Sasthrolsavam Science Fair the item is individual, at High School (classes 8-10) and Higher Secondary/VHSE (classes 11-12), open to girls and boys, and uses the same seven-part score sheet as Robotics and Electronics.
A convincing entry shows the whole chain: the sensor, the microcontroller, the connection, the app or dashboard, and the action. Judges ask where the data goes, what happens when the network drops, how the device is powered and what privacy or safety issues exist.
Because the seven-part indicator table: creativity 20, innovation and originality 15, scientific thought and principle 15, technical skill and craftsmanship 15, utility 15, durability and low cost 10, presentation 10, a simple, dependable IoT project explained clearly scores better than an ambitious one that depends on a flaky connection.
Where IOT is run
IOT is part of the official Kerala School Sasthrolsavam Science Fair and is installed on eTalenter through the Science Fair template. IoT projects appear in school fairs in many places; this page describes only the Kerala format.
- Kerala, India
Key facts
- Individual item, girls and boys.
- Offered at High School and Higher Secondary/VHSE.
- Scored out of 100 on the seven-part model table.
- The device should sense, communicate and act.
- A fallback for poor network is wise at the venue.
- Utility and low cost carry 25 marks together.
On eTalenter, IOT is filed under Special and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, IOT is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in IOT
What a IOT panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Creativity (20): a problem in daily life solved with connected sensing.
- Innovation and originality (15): what is new in your design or software.
- Scientific thought and principle (15): you can explain the sensor and data flow.
- Technical skill and craftsmanship (15): reliable wiring, working code and tidy assembly.
- Utility (15): the project benefits a home, farm or school.
- Durability and low cost (10): affordable parts and a build that survives handling.
- Presentation (10): a clear demonstration and explanation.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for IOT under Scoring Setup, or start from the judging and scoring software guide.
How to prepare for IOT
How entrants and their teachers usually get IOT right on the day:
- Choose a problem before choosing the board.
- Sketch the data flow from sensor to dashboard.
- Test with and without internet; prepare an offline display as a fallback.
- Keep a printed screenshot of the dashboard in case the network fails at the venue.
- Understand every line of the code you present.
- Protect any account credentials and do not show them on screen.
- Carry power banks and spare cables.
- Idea to try: a water-tank level monitor that alerts when it is nearly empty
- Idea to try: a classroom air-quality display with a simple traffic-light indicator
- Idea to try: a cattle-shed temperature logger for a small farm
Ready-made event templates that include IOT
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala School Sasthrolsavam – Science Fair | Special | Marks | 2 |
Frequently asked questions
Is IOT judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Does it need an internet connection?
The idea is connected devices, but venue networks can be unreliable, so prepare a local fallback.
Can I use a development board?
Boards are normal parts of IoT projects; originality lies in what you build and explain.
Is it individual or team?
Individual at both levels in this fair’s list.
What is the difference from Robotics?
Robotics centres on a machine that moves; IoT centres on connected sensing and data.
Want the full judging picture? Read the judging and scoring software guide, or browse every special competition item.
Try IOT in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs IOT, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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