An enthusiast modified the Texas Instruments TI-84 graphic calculator, popular among students, by integrating a Wi-Fi module for Internet access and ChatGPT. This is quite impressive from a technical point of view, but at the same time, such a solution can be used to cheat on exams.
Image source: ChromaLock / YouTube
On Saturday, ChromaLock’s YouTube channel posted a video titled “I Made The Ultimate Cheating Device.” The author described in detail the process of modifying the Texas Instruments TI-84 calculator, which is capable of plotting graphs of mathematical functions. The modification allows you to connect the calculator to the Internet via Wi-Fi and gain access to the ChatGPT AI chat bot. Users can enter queries using the calculator’s keyboard and receive answers on the device screen in real time.
The enthusiast first examined the calculator’s communication port, which is typically used to transfer educational programs between devices. He then designed his own PCB, called the TI-32. The key component of the board was the miniature Wi-Fi controller Seed Studio ESP32-C3, costing about $5. He also installed additional electronic components to interface with the calculator’s systems.
To reproduce the operation of ChromaLock, you will need to purchase a TI-84 calculator, a Seed Studio ESP32-C3 microcontroller and a number of electronic components. In addition, you will have to make a printed circuit board using the ChromaLock design, which is available on the Internet. The complexity of the process makes it inaccessible to ordinary users, but opens up opportunities for enthusiasts.
During development, ChromaLock encountered a number of engineering challenges, including voltage incompatibilities and signal integrity issues. After creating several prototypes, he was able to successfully integrate the modified board into the calculator body without visible external changes, making the modification undetectable by visual inspection.
In addition, the enthusiast developed special software for both the microcontroller and the calculator. The project’s source code is posted in a public repository on GitHub. The system emulates a second TI-84 calculator, allowing the built-in “send” and “get” commands to be used to transfer files. This makes it easy to download a launcher that provides access to various cheating applications.
ChatGPT is one such application, but its effectiveness is limited by the slowness of entering long alphanumeric questions on a calculator keyboard, which can significantly reduce the practical applicability of AI under time-constrained exam conditions.
In addition to ChatGPT, the device offers a built-in image browser that allows access to pre-prepared visual aids stored on the server. You can also download text cheat sheets disguised as program source code. ChromaLock also mentioned the development of a camera function, the details of which have not yet been disclosed.
The enthusiast claims that his device is able to bypass standard anti-cheat measures. The launcher can be loaded on demand, avoiding detection when the calculator is checked or cleared by the teacher before a test. Moreover, the modification is supposedly capable of deactivating the “testing mode” designed to prevent cheating.
Despite the technical merits of the project, using ChatGPT on a calculator during an exam constitutes a serious violation of academic ethics. Such actions may result in disciplinary action at most US educational institutions.