docs: add standardized 8-section README, hero image, and image manifest

README.md

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+ESP32-S3 vehicle telemetry and GPS tracker streaming location and vehicle status over Cat-M/NB-IoT cellular networks.
+
+![hero](docs/images/hero.jpg)
+
+**Status: in progress**
+
+### What it does
+* Tracks real-time GNSS location and reports vehicle coordinates over Cat-M / NB-IoT cellular data
+* Manages power and deep sleep based on car ignition status to preserve vehicle battery
+* Processes remote configuration and trigger commands via SMS and HTTP polling
+* Supports over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates, geofencing, and ESP-NOW local fallbacks
+
+### Bill of Materials
+| Part | Quantity | Purpose |
+| :--- | :---: | :--- |
+| ESP32-S3 Development Board | 1 | Microcontroller running modular C++ telemetry firmware |
+| Waveshare Pico SIM7080G Module | 1 | Cat-M / NB-IoT cellular modem & GNSS positioning engine |
+| Hologram SIM Card | 1 | Global IoT cellular data connectivity |
+| 12V-to-5V Buck Converter | 1 | Steps down car 12V DC power to 5V DC circuit power |
+| LiPo Battery Charge Controller | 1 | Manages backup LiPo battery during vehicle power loss |
+
+### How it works
+Firmware isolates hardware control into dedicated C++ modules (`GNSS`, `Modem`, `PowerMgr`). Cellular communication uses AT commands over UART (Serial2, 9600 baud on pins 16/17) with dedicated power control on GPIO 4. Telemetry payloads are packaged into JSON and pushed via HTTP POST to the Laravel backend.
+
+### What broke
+* SIM7080G cold-boot PDP context attach required exact pulse timing on the PWR pin (GPIO 4) to ensure modem initialization before issuing `AT+CGNSPWR=1` for GNSS power.
+
+### Links
+* Web Dashboard: [CAR_GPS_REACT](https://gitea.lab.audasmedia.com.au/sam/CAR_GPS_REACT)
+* Backend API: [Laravel-GPS-API](https://gitea.lab.audasmedia.com.au/sam/Laravel-GPS-API)

docs/images/README.md

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-# Hardware images
+# Hardware Images Manifest
 
-`sim7080g-lte-module.jpg` — Waveshare Pico SIM7080G Cat-M / NB-IoT module, used with the
-ESP32 for the cellular link in this tracker. Source: the Waveshare product page for
-PICO-SIM7080G-Cat-M-NB-IoT. A product image, used to identify the part.
+`hero.jpg` — Treated hero banner (1600×1000px, `#0b0d10` dark theme canvas with left gradient fade) showing the Waveshare SIM7080G Cat-M / NB-IoT cellular and GNSS hardware assembly.
+
+`sim7080g-lte-module.jpg` — Waveshare Pico SIM7080G Cat-M / NB-IoT module, used with the ESP32-S3 for cellular connectivity in this tracker. Source: Waveshare PICO-SIM7080G product page.