LITIGATR

Inspiration

Most courtrooms still rely on paper rosters and manual check-in processes that are inefficient, wasteful, and error-prone. This not only clogs up legal systems but disproportionately affects those unfamiliar with the process. We were inspired to create a low-cost, eco-friendly, and modern system to streamline courtroom attendance — one that’s easy to deploy, energy-efficient, and genuinely useful.

What it does

Litigatr is a face-recognition-powered courtroom check-in kiosk. When someone arrives at court, they simply walk up to the device — it scans their face, pulls up their case info, shows them their assigned courtroom and time, confirms the check-in via LED and buzzer, logs their attendance, and sends an optional confirmation email. No paper. No confusion. Just fast, sustainable check-in.

How we built it

We built Litigatr using a modular hardware system:

A Raspberry Pi 4B handles local face recognition using face-api.js and a camera module
The ESP32 LCD touchscreen displays the user’s name, court time, and confirmation messages
An Arduino Uno powers the RGB LED and buzzer to give real-time feedback
The entire unit is housed in a custom-designed 3D-printed shell with modular cutouts for each component

Challenges we ran into

Making face recognition work locally (not in the cloud) while keeping it fast and responsive on the Pi
Creating a UI that’s simple enough for any user, but flexible enough to show schedules
Calibrating the RGB LED and buzzer to match recognition success/failure
Designing a 3D-printed housing that looks professional, protects the parts, and prints without error

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Created a fully functional, real-time check-in system in one weekend
Designed and printed a custom case that makes the device look ready for deployment
Combined hardware and software with a single unified flow
Stayed true to the sustainability theme through low energy usage, paper reduction, and repairability

What we learned

How to build reliable serial communication across a Pi, Arduino, and ESP32
How to process face data efficiently on low-power devices
The real-world value of focusing on accessibility, sustainability, and simplicity in hardware design

What's next for LITIGATR

Add admin override tools (manual input, QR scanning)
Create an online dashboard that syncs with the device for clerks
Open-source everything: STL files, firmware, UI templates
Explore use cases in schools, hospitals, and public buildings for broader civic attendance tracking