Inspiration
We'd been eating lunch together when a question randomly popped up. Where does a plastic fork go? The trash? Or maybe recycling? Is it one of those compostable types? After some uncertain discussion, we knew we'd found our idea.
What it does
Recycle Me is an app that clarifies what bin a litter object should be thrown away. Accepting either text input or an image taken by a camera, this app is meant to make the process of correctly throwing away waste far simpler and more convenient.
How we built it
Utilizing React, we tried to use React Native but realized it was best to just build a prototype in react. Tamir built the search bar, then I connected it to the gemini api. Then Brain made the camera functionality using React Webcam. He got to save the file as a blob. I took that information and stored it into a base64 which I then connected to the Gemini API. We used css to make the app look nicer.
Challenges we ran into
Our team was unfamiliar with React, and much time was spent figuring out the process. The API integration also proved challenging.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Our product ended up working pretty well, and the end result is mainly clean.
What we learned
We learned that clearly defining our process early on is important to efficiently complete tasks.
What's next for Recycle Me
Currently in the form of a web app, the next logical step would be to implement this on a mobile device, most likely using React Native. We also want to make the background change color based on the bin it goes into.
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