findmyseat

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Inspiration

We just finished midterms and were tired of travelling all the way to the library only to find there were no available seats. We wanted a solution to check seat availability in real time before making the trip.

What it does

FindMySeat uses Raspberry Pi sensors and a web dashboard to show real-time seat availability in shared spaces. Users can instantly locate open seats and, with our integrated Gemini chat assistant, get personalized recommendations to pick the best spot based on their preferences.

How we built it

We connected Raspberry Pi sensors to detect seat occupancy and sent the data to a FastAPI backend. The backend processes and forwards the data to a Next.js frontend, which displays seat status and allows users to interact with live updates. We also integrated Google Gemini AI to provide a chat assistant that helps users find the best seat for their needs.

Challenges we ran into

We faced issues with hardware integration, real-time data transfer, and synchronizing updates between the backend and frontend. Debugging network connectivity with our web app and ensuring reliable sensor readings were also challenging.

What we learned

We learned how to integrate hardware with web technologies, manage real-time data, and deploy full-stack applications. We also gained experience in troubleshooting network and API issues.

What's next for Findmyseat

We plan to add more sensors to cover additional seats and improve real-time accuracy, moving beyond demo data to full hardware integration. We also aim to enhance the Gemini chat assistant for smarter seat recommendations, introduce seat reservation and notifications, and expand the platform to other shared spaces like classrooms and cafes.