Spotter

Inspiration

Finding a study spot during exam season or a table during a hackathon is frustrating and time-consuming. We wanted to solve this problem by creating an app that allows users to check for available spots ahead of time, so they can focus more on working and less on searching.

What it does

Spotter helps students find available study spots in libraries and common areas. Users can view real-time spot availability, set favorite study locations, and receive notifications when spots open up during their preferred study times.

How we built it

We built Spotter using React Native for the mobile app, Expo for ease of development, and integrated NFC readers for spot tracking. On the backend, we used Supabase for real-time data storage and notifications. The interface provides a clean map view of available study spots.

Challenges we ran into

One challenge was ensuring real-time updates for spot availability, especially during peak times. Integrating NFC readers with reliable spot detection also posed a technical challenge, as did predicting user preferences with limited initial data.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud of creating a smooth user interface that offers real-time spot updates and allows users to set preferences for notifications. Our NFC integration and initial machine learning-based recommendations are also big achievements in terms of functionality and future scalability.

What we learned

We learned a lot about integrating NFC technology with mobile apps and optimizing for real-time updates. User experience design was another key area of growth, as we focused on making the app intuitive and functional, especially during high-traffic periods like exam season.

What's next for Spotter

Next, we plan to expand Spotter by incorporating machine learning for smarter spot recommendations based on user habits. We’ll also work on integrating more universities and public spaces, adding features like heatmaps, and improving real-time spot detection through additional sensors or user feedback.

Built With

• nearfieldcommunication(nfc)
• react-native
• supabase