G
eelong student Revant Pandey has won the 2026 Geelong Youth Awards Innovation Award for using artificial intelligence and other technologies to tackle everyday problems.
Pandey, 16, was recognised at a ceremony attended by hundreds of people at Norlane ARC. He was among 103 young people considered across nine award categories, with the winners chosen by a panel that included members of the 2026 Youth Council.
The City of Greater Geelong credited Pandey with combining technical ability and community service, pointing to his development work as well as his mentoring and tutoring of younger students. The council described his work as an innovative response to real-world challenges.
One of his main projects is an adaptive traffic-light system designed to explore whether computer vision can help signals respond to changing road conditions.
The prototype uses convolutional neural network technology and a Raspberry Pi computer to process traffic information. Unlike signals operating on fixed timing cycles, the proposed system would adjust their timing according to the traffic detected on the road.
The project also earned Pandey the 2025 Australian Defence Force Future Innovators Award. He later presented the work at John Monash Science School, receiving an Excellence in Scientific Communication award.
His interest in artificial intelligence has extended into business software. During a software engineering internship, Pandey developed an AI-based business-planning application and continued working on it after the placement ended.
The platform has since been expanded to include automated search engine optimisation analysis and planning. It is intended to help small and medium-sized businesses, along with sole operators, assess weaknesses in their online presence and identify possible improvements.
The project is based on the problem of smaller businesses being unable to afford the marketing teams or specialist agencies available to larger companies. Pandey is also a co-leader of his school’s robotics team. That role was tested during a RoboCup competition when the team changed its robot design before the final round and found that it no longer performed as expected.
He helped divide the repair effort into separate tasks as the team worked to recover from the setback. The robot returned to competition and the team finished third.
His work outside technology was also considered as part of his recognition. Through the St Vincent de Paul Society, Pandey has volunteered with younger children from different cultural and social backgrounds, including children from refugee families.
He has assisted them with English and mathematics, adapting lessons through games, analogies and simpler explanations when conventional teaching methods did not connect with a student.
That experience has influenced his approach to software development, particularly the need to ensure that a product can be understood and used by the people it is designed to assist.
Pandey has also taken part in the Future Minds Network, which introduces young people to entrepreneurship and industry experience. His technical work includes Python, Flask, SQL, OpenCV, TensorFlow, computer vision and Raspberry Pi.
At school, he has served on the Academic Student Representative Council, assisted with activities intended to increase students’ academic participation and helped organise a Clean Up Australia Day event. He also plays in the school badminton team.
The Innovation Award places Pandey among a group of young people recognised this year for work spanning sport, the arts, cultural inclusion, volunteering, leadership and community advocacy.
Support Independent Community Journalism
Dear Reader,The Indian Sun exists for one reason: to tell stories that might otherwise go unheard.
We report on local councils, state politics, small businesses and cultural festivals. We focus on the Indian diaspora and the wider multicultural community with care, balance and accountability. We publish in print and online, send regular newsletters and produce video content. We also run media training programs to help community organisations share their own stories.
We operate independently.
Community journalism does not have the backing of large media corporations. Advertising revenue fluctuates. Platform algorithms change. Costs continue to rise. Yet the need for credible, grounded reporting in a multicultural Australia has never been greater.
When you support The Indian Sun, you support:
• Independent reporting on issues affecting migrant communities
• Coverage of local and state decisions that shape daily life
• A platform for small businesses and community groups
• Media training that builds skills within the community
• Journalism accountable to readers
We cannot cover everything, but we work to cover what matters.
If you value thoughtful reporting that reflects Australia’s diversity, we invite you to contribute. Every donation helps us maintain the quality and consistency of our work.
Please consider making a contribution today.
Thank you for your support.
The Indian Sun Team
