HowdyHamper

HowdyHamper: Elevating student living, one spin cycle at a time. Monitor laundry machine availability, receive completion alerts.

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Inspiration

Living on campus as a freshman offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in university life. However, amidst the bustling community, everyday chores like laundry can become a real inconvenience. During our brainstorming session, one of our teammates shared his frustrating laundry experience, saying, "There's always a laundry backlog, even if your clothes are clean. Sometimes, you have to wait for an hour just to start drying."

With HowdyHamper, we aim to streamline the on-campus laundry process, ensuring that our users can reclaim their time for more significant endeavors.

What it does

HowdyHamper integrates embedded sensors with our software to provide users with real-time mobile updates on the status of washing machines and dryers. Through this dynamic pairing, we give users the ability to effortlessly optimize their laundry schedules. HowdyHamper tells you exactly when to start your laundry and when it's done, making campus life easier and your laundry more efficient.

How we built it

We started building the frontend using Unity and C# and created a login system along with the dorm and room selection scenes. We used Node js to clean a json data file and read the file through a backend generator script to generate dorm and room listing for our frontend. Finally we cleaned up the UI design and added pixel art and animation for a fleshed out user friendly look.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating JSON with C# scripts can be complex. Additionally, collaboration on Unity was not seamless and we regularly encountered merge conflicts. Within our group, we faced the additional challenge of lacking expertise in UI design. Incorporating the newly gained workshop knowledge into our application also required overcoming a significant learning curve.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Integrating Node JS backend with Unity.
  • Cleaning and reading a json file to generate data for our frontend.
  • Incorporating pixel art animations and graphics design into the application.

What we learned

Some key insights we can reflect on during the course of this hackathon are:

Collaborative problem solving - Teamwork played a crucial role in the completion of our project and presentation. Anytime we encountered problems or needed help managing the workload, we consulted with one another to overcome the hurdle.

Prototyping - Given the time restraint, our options were limited when it came to developing a working prototype of the application. This resulted in a fast-paced environment where we were constantly forced to learn and adapt the to the intricacies of Unity and C#.

User centric design - The app aimed to optimize the laundry process for users. Understanding user behavior, preferences, and needs became central to our design process. We gained insights into crafting user-friendly interfaces which was challenging given our lack of expertise.

Time management - With limited time for the hackathon we found ourselves scrambling to complete several aspects of the application. From designing pixel art graphics and animations to learning C# as we worked on the application, time was definitely valuable and we did our best to not waste it.

What's next for HowdyHamper

As we turn our gaze to the future, we're enthusiastic about the next stages of HowdyHamper designed specifically with the student living experience in mind. Here's a peek into what's on the horizon:

Dynamic Data Agility - We're introducing a cutting-edge feature that empowers users to seamlessly switch datasets, ensuring they always access the most current and relevant information at their fingertips.

Efficient Scheduling - Recognizing the value of your time, we're considering the integration of a scheduling system. It's like having a personal laundry assistant, helping you optimize your laundry routine for maximum efficiency.

Intelligent Notifications - In our fast-paced lives, it's easy to forget about laundry. That's why we're planning to introduce intelligent notifications. Picture this: Your phone alerts you when your laundry is complete, eliminating the need to wait by the machine or wonder about your clothes' status.

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