Routify

Inspiration

As first-year students, we found ourselves getting lost trying to make it from one class to the next. All we had was a list of class names, room numbers, and times, but no sense of how far apart anything actually was. It was frustrating and stressful, especially during the first few weeks of school. We built Routify to make that experience easier for others.

What it does

Routify lets students upload their class schedule and instantly see their classes on a map. You can click the commute between classes to preview the walking route between them, complete with estimated travel time. Every schedule gets a short link you can easily share with friends, roommates, or advisors.

How we built it

We built Routify with:

• React for the frontend
• Django REST Framework for the backend
• Google Maps API for geocoding and walking time estimates
• Mapbox API for map visualization and navigation
• ics for calendar parsing
• A custom short-link system for sharing

Challenges we ran into

Reading .ics files correctly was a lot harder than expected. Handling repeating classes, exceptions, and figuring out the actual end date of a course required careful parsing. We also had to refine our location search to avoid confusing results from Google Maps when given vague room names. Also, handling file input uploaded from the frontend was tricky.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We created a fully working tool that solves a real problem students face. Route previews with walking times work smoothly, and the short link system makes it simple to share schedules.

What we learned

We learned how to work with complex file formats, connect different APIs, and build an interface that clearly brings together location data and schedules. Most importantly, we took a problem that confused us as new students and built a tool that could make that experience easier for others.

What's next for Routify

• Polish the UI/UX to make it smoother and more intuitive
• Add support for location services so users don’t need to manually enter their university
• Improve how we handle different types of classes (labs, discussions, etc.)
• Make it useful for non-class events like club meetings or appointments
• Smarter route planning for back-to-back events
• Release for real-world use!

Built With

• django
• python
• react