Chennai's wiz-kid creates app for safety of fellow students

At an age when 15-year-olds are busy managing their school work, Arjun S. is managing his own company, LateraLogics, which he started in 2012. Arjun received the ‘National Child Award for Exceptional Achievements 2014’ from the Ministry of Women and Child Development for his contribution in the field of computer technology.

Locatera, his new mobile ‘tri-app’ solution won the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s ‘App of the Month (Best Design)’ award in October 2015. He was also selected as a finalist in the ‘Google Code to Learn 2015’ Contest.

Arjun is presently involved in piloting this technology solution in his own school and other institutions under the Velammal Educational Trust.A student of Class10 of Velammal Vidhyashram, Surapet, Arjun started using computers when he was two-and-a-half-years old. “I’d stack a pile of pillows and sit on them to play basic electronics simulation software. When I was eight, I started working on my robotics kit to improve my programming skills. I was glued to mobile technology after my father bought his first smartphone,” says Arjun.

His first venture was an app called ‘Ez School Bus Locator’ that helped parents track their children and ensure that they were safe. “Custom made for schools and parents, this tracker mobile app allows parents to track both the school bus and their child’s presence inside.

After its success, he recently updated the app. The new version is called ‘Locetra’ and it allows parents locate the school bus on a map (using smartphones) to plan pick up and drop schedules for their kids. Arjun, who has bigger plans for his company. “I want LateraLogics to be one of the most successful companies in the world.’’

Arul Kumar R., principal of Velammal Vidhyashram, Surapet, says, "We have done a pilot run and the IT department of the school is working closely with Arjun. A few trial runs have been done and we are working on making it better. We have sent a proposal to the management to acquire better technology for the better functioning of the app. If all goes well, the management plans to use the app across our schools."