Inspiration
The inspiration for 'PlantGo' stems from our collective concern about the growing disconnection between people and the natural world around us. We recognized the potential to use technology to not only encourage outdoor activity but also to foster environmental awareness and education. 'PlantGo' is our way of using technology to bridge the gap between individuals and the environment, making nature exploration exciting and educational for everyone.
What it does
PlantGo is a captivating app that leverages technology to bridge the gap between people and their natural surroundings. It transforms everyday environments into a learning experience by allowing users to explore and identify plants in their vicinity using an AI-powered camera interface. The app fosters environmental awareness, rewards users with 'saplings' on identification, tracked securely through blockchain technology and also helps compile a valuable database of plant species for research purposes. In essence, PlantGo encourages outdoor exploration, education, and engagement with the world of botany, enriching lives and contributing to the preservation of our planet's biodiversity.
How we built it
Frontend Magic: Our frontend is developed using Flutter, delivering a seamless and intuitive user experience on both Android and iOS devices.
Map Integration: We utilized Google Maps to create a dynamic, user-friendly map interface, overlaying it with tree icons to represent real plants within the region.
AI-Powered Plant Recognition: Our AI model, trained on the PlantNet-300K dataset, enables users to snap plant photos for instant identification and provides the common and scientific names of the plants.
Blockchain Technology: We implemented the blockchain technology similar to Bitcoin to ensure the security and transparency of user data, providing an unalterable record of achievements and rewards. For demonstration purposes, we currently only check, the first byte of the SHA-256 proof of work hash.
API Connectivity: The app relies on an efficient aiohttp-based API, enabling users to upload plant images effortlessly and receive prompt responses from our AI and blockchain systems.
Challenges we ran into
- Difficulties in finding correct dependencies.
- Difficulties in encoding image for the AI model.
- Difficulties in implementation of map APIs.
- Compilation errors at crucial moments.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- Fully functioning blockchain system similar to BitCoin in pure Python.
- Integration with powerful asynchronous libraries like aiohttp for API.
What we learned
We learned to seamlessly integrate diverse technologies, from maps and AI models to blockchain, ensuring a cohesive and reliable user experience
What's next for PlantGo
PlantGo's robust and scalable blockchain database allows for a lot of technologies including but not limited to crowdsourcing. With user submitted responses, we can use already availabe algorithms to identify native, rare and endangered species of plants and constantly track their locations for further research and analysis.
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