Inspiration
Sprout was inspired by the need for people and their communities to take actionable steps toward sustainability, specifically within the environment around them. We wanted to create a tool that helps people make educated and responsible environmental choices while also supporting local sustainability initiatives. We are aware of the growing environmental challenge we as a race face globally, such as climate change, pollution (air and water), and deforestation. We believe that everyone, no matter their background, should have access to the knowledge and resources needed to live a more sustainable life.
However, we also understand that building long-term sustainable habits can be difficult. That’s why we gamified Sprout, turning sustainability into an interactive experience where users can earn XP, level up, and track their progress as they complete eco-friendly tasks.
What it does
Sprout provides users with personalized sustainability recommendations based on the users demographics and location. It analyzes factors such as Low Life Expectancy, Expected Building Loss Rate, Flood Risk, Wildfire Risk, Traffic Proximity, Clean Air Quality, and Waste Water Pollutants to help individuals understand the sustainability challenges in their community. The platform also offers AI-powered recommendations to help users improve their environmental impact. Additionally, Sprout connects users to local volunteer opportunities related to sustainability efforts.
To make sustainability more engaging, Sprout includes a gamified XP system. Users can earn XP for completing sustainability-related tasks, such as:
- Taking out the trash responsibly
- Using public transportation instead of driving
- Participating in community clean-ups
- Reducing home energy consumption
How we built it
Sprout was built using environmental data from trust sources such as the United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). By analyzing demographics data such as income, disability, age, ethnicity, and environmental data such as air quality, water quality, pollution, and more, Sprout identifies local sustainability issues. We used machine learning to analyze this data and generate personalized sustainability recommendations based on the users location and demographics. We deliver custom advice for individuals, helping them understand key environmental issues in their area. The platform also displays an interactive map that shows nearby volunteer opportunities and the links to their websites, helping users make an impact in their community. We focused on making it easy to use and accessible to people of all technical backgrounds.
Challenges we ran into
Some of the challenges we came across during the development of Sprout included ensuring the data we were using was up to date. Some datasets we discarded had data all the way from the 1900’s, which would have massively biased our models predictions. We also had to figure out how to handle large amounts of data. Every time we tried to process the data, it took a very long time due to the sheer size, which was not good considering we were in a time crunch.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are very proud of the fact that Sprout provides a personal and actionable way to understand and improve their communities sustainability issues. We have created a tool that connects past environmental data with real world actions, like local volunteering, which helps users take steps to improve their community. The ease of use and accessibility of the platform, designed to help users at every step of life, is another accomplishment we are particularly proud of.
What we learned
Through the development of Sprout, we learned the importance of making complex data digestible and readable for everyday users. We also learned how to balance machine learning with real world, practical applications. It was important for us that we kept the user experience at the top of our priorities while also still providing relevant and localized information. We also learned the importance of community engagement when it comes to sustainability when we were researching ideas.
What's next for Sprout
In the future, we want to expand Sprout by using more localized data, such as energy usage and waste management. We also want to expand our reach to more than just California because as of now our dataset only uses data from California. We also want to partner with local organizations to ensure the volunteer opportunities are credible and up to date. We are exploring ways to integrate feedback from users to improve the platform and adapt to changing sustainability needs.
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