VoltPlan

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  1-2 Steps

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  3-4 Steps

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  Safety Of Project

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  Learning & Engineering Insights

Inspiration

The barrier to entry for engineering is still far too high. I’ve seen so many talented students with great ideas never get the chance to build them not because they lack ability, but because they lack guidance, resources, or confidence. Too many capable people go unrecognised simply because they never get to turn theory into something real. As an EEE Undergraduate I want to change this for the everyone no matter their social class, university or experience level/

What it does

VoltPlan AI is an AI-powered engineering mentor that helps EEE and robotics students turn ideas into real, buildable hardware systems. It asks smart follow-up questions and generates a structured plan, bill of materials with where to buy it, and clear diagrams, guiding users from concept to implementation while helping them learn along the way.

How I built it

I built VoltPlan AI using AI to interpret project ideas and transform them into structured engineering outputs. The system breaks problems into subsystems, generates realistic components, and produces both planning and visual guidance through diagrams. I focused heavily on clean UX and making outputs practical, not just theoretical.

Challenges we ran into

One of the biggest challenges was balancing accuracy with usability. Hardware design is complex, and we had to ensure outputs were realistic without overwhelming beginners. Designing diagrams that were both clear and meaningful was also difficult, as was structuring AI outputs to feel like guidance rather than generic responses.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud that VoltPlan AI doesn’t just generate ideas—it produces something students can actually build. The combination of structured plans, BOMs, and diagrams creates a real sense of direction. Most importantly, it feels like a mentor, not just a tool.

What we learned

We learned that the biggest gap in engineering education isn’t knowledge—it’s guidance. When students are given structure and clarity, their confidence and ability increase dramatically. We also learned how important it is to design AI systems that teach, not just automate.

What's next for VoltPlan

Next, we want to make VoltPlan even more practical and accessible. This includes improving component accuracy, adding deeper circuit-level support, and exploring integration with real design tools. Our long-term vision is to create a system that takes users from idea all the way to a manufacturable design, making hardware engineering accessible to anyone, anywhere.

Built With

• claude
• nanobanana