Time Capsule

Why we made Time Capsule

Traditional physical photo albums & time capsules are not easily accessible or sharable and are limited in storage capabilities. And while cloud-based photo album services offer remote access, collaborative sharing, and automatic backup, you are not in full control of your photos, there is often a subscription cost, and a risk of deletion.

What it does

Time_capsule.tech is a blockchain-based photo album that employs smart contracts to function as a virtual time capsule for each image. By storing and encrypting your photos on an Interplanetary File System (IPFS) 🪐🌌, the risk of data loss is minimised greatly, as well as adding unparalleled security, permanence, and control of your own memories. 📷

How we built it

While similar to Next.js, the front end was built with Starknet.js, a frontend library for easy integration with Starknet custom hooks and components. Also, Cairo with intermediary Sierra was used for the deployment of contracts both locally as well as remotely on IDEs such as Remix. Finally, to ensure that images remained decentralized, we strived to use an IPFS system to host our images. And also a lot of dedication. 🔥

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Setting up a local devnet for deploying contracts
Understanding the file structure of Starknet.js
Trying most of the outdated tech for IPFS

What we learned / Challenges we ran into

We learned about blockchain, specifically smart contracts and their use cases. On a technical level, we learned about Cairo development, standards for ERC20 contracts, and differences in Starknet.js.

On a more practical level, each member brought unique skills and perspectives to the table, fostering a fun and constructive environment. Our collective efforts resulted in an overall successful outcome as well as a positive and enjoyable working experience.

What's next for Time Capsule

A more thorough implementation of DevOps tools such as Vercel for branch deployment as well as Github actions for functional testing
3-D visualisation of photos with libraries such as three.js or CSS animations
Incorporate other Ethereum branches onto the network
Sleep 🛌, gaming 🖥️ 🎮

Overall, it was a great time for all and it was a pleasure attending this year’s event.