Polara is a comprehensive government benefits optimization platform designed for retired, disabled, and veteran users. It uses an intuitive solar system metaphor to visualize and manage benefit eligibility across healthcare, housing, food, transportation, and financial assistance programs.

• 🌟 Solar System Dashboard: Interactive visualization with planets representing different benefit categories
• 🗣️ Voice Commands: AI-powered voice assistant using Eleven Labs and Gemini API
• 🌍 Multilingual Support: Available in 7 languages (English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Hindi, Tagalog, Vietnamese)
• ♿ Accessibility: Font size adjustment, color blindness filters, dyslexia-friendly fonts, high contrast mode
• 💰 Benefit Calculators: Real-time calculations for SSI, SNAP, Section 8, EITC, and more
• 🔔 Smart Alerts: Notifications for benefit changes, rule updates, and income adjustments

• React + Vite
• TailwindCSS for styling
• Framer Motion for animations
• Redux Toolkit for state management
• react-i18next for internationalization
• Axios for API calls

• Node.js + Express
• MongoDB + Mongoose ODM
• JWT authentication
• AES-256 encryption for sensitive data
• Eleven Labs API for speech-to-text/text-to-speech
• Google Gemini API for intent classification

• Node.js 18+
• MongoDB (local or MongoDB Atlas)
• Eleven Labs API key
• Google Gemini API key

1. Navigate to backend directory:

cd backend

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Create a .env file (use .env.example as template):

cp .env.example .env

4. Configure your environment variables in .env:

PORT=5000
MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/polara
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret_key_here
ENCRYPTION_KEY=your_32_character_encryption_key
ELEVEN_LABS_API_KEY=your_eleven_labs_api_key
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key
NODE_ENV=development

5. Start the backend server:

npm run dev

The backend will run on http://localhost:5000

1. Navigate to frontend directory:

cd frontend

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Start the development server:

npm run dev

The frontend will run on http://localhost:3000

1. Sign up at elevenlabs.io
2. Get your API key from the dashboard
3. Add to backend .env file

1. Visit Google AI Studio
2. Create a new API key
3. Add to backend .env file

• Local: Install MongoDB locally and use mongodb://localhost:27017/polara
• Cloud: Create a free cluster at MongoDB Atlas and use the connection string

HackTX/
├── backend/
│   ├── config/           # Database configuration
│   ├── models/           # Mongoose schemas
│   ├── routes/           # API routes
│   ├── middleware/       # Authentication middleware
│   ├── utils/            # Utility functions
│   └── server.js         # Express server
├── frontend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/   # Reusable components
│   │   ├── pages/        # Page components
│   │   ├── store/        # Redux store and slices
│   │   ├── i18n/         # Translation files
│   │   ├── services/     # API services
│   │   ├── App.jsx       # Main app component
│   │   └── main.jsx      # Entry point
│   ├── public/           # Static assets
│   └── index.html        # HTML template
└── README.md

• Medicaid
• Medicare
• ACA Subsidies
• TRICARE
• VA Health Care
• Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
• State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs

• Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
• Public Housing
• HUD-VASH (Veterans)
• LIHEAP (Energy Assistance)
• Emergency Rental Assistance
• Weatherization Assistance
• Property Tax Relief

• SNAP (Food Stamps)
• WIC
• Summer/Pandemic EBT
• Senior Food Programs
• Emergency Food Assistance

• Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT)
• Paratransit Services
• Veterans Transportation
• Transit Fare Subsidies
• Vehicle Modification Grants

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• TANF
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
• Child Tax Credit (CTC)
• State Tax Credits

Try these voice commands:

• "Show me healthcare benefits"
• "Navigate to housing"
• "Check my food benefits"
• "Go to transportation"
• "Open my profile"
• "Calculate my benefits"

• Small, Medium, Large options
• Applies globally across the application

• Protanopia (Red-blind)
• Deuteranopia (Green-blind)
• Tritanopia (Blue-blind)

• OpenDyslexic font option
• High contrast mode
• Full keyboard navigation
• ARIA labels on all interactive elements
• Voice narration support

• 🇺🇸 English
• 🇪🇸 Spanish (Español)
• 🇫🇷 French (Français)
• 🇨🇳 Chinese (中文)
• 🇮🇳 Hindi (हिन्दी)
• 🇵🇭 Tagalog
• 🇻🇳 Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)

# Backend
cd backend
npm test

# Frontend
cd frontend
npm test

# Frontend
cd frontend
npm run build

# The build folder will contain optimized production files

This project was created for HackTX. Contributions are welcome!

MIT License

For support or questions, please contact the development team.

Polara - Your Financial North Star. Always in Orbit. ⭐