KOCHI: Fidget spinners were probably the biggest trend of 2017 and the one that held people’s fancy for long. The toy, which is said to help people with anxiety issues, is still the rage among elders and children, and capitalising on this trend is Sanjay Sabu, a student from Fort Kochi, who developed the ‘Infinite Spinner’ app.
“I saw my friends bringing fidget spinners to school and playing with it, which is what prompted me to develop a game for free which can be played anytime and anywhere,” said the 17-year-old student of Santa Cruz HSS, Fort Kochi.
He spends his free time coding, an interest he took up when he was just 16. The Infinite Spinner is the first app created by the teenager, who is always on a quest to develop more apps for people to enjoy.
“Just like a good reader can be a good writer, I believe a good coder can be a good software developer,” said Sanjay.
His skill and love for coding was discovered through the Additional Skill Acqusition Programme (ASAP), a joint initiative of the General and Higher Education Department. “Sanjay is quite smart and talented, and coding is something he’s been working on for a while now. We are willing to give him all the support he requires,” said an ASAP member.
The Infinite Spinner app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, allows the player to unlock a variety of designs and skins for their fidget spinners as they progress through the game and beat more levels. Once setting the highest score for the fastest spinner, the player will be gifted with an original spinner.
“It gives you the same happiness as playing with a real fidget spinner, but it is better because you get the chance to make achievements and win prizes,” said Sanjay, adding that any data or progress lost can be easily recovered, allowing the player to continue from where they left off.
Sanjay hopes to develop more gaming apps for android phone users, and is currently working on a Virtual Reality-based app.