Cruz Maps

Github: https://github.com/vznh/cruzmaps

Problem Statement

Navigating UCSC's campus can be overwhelming for newcomers, especially new students and tourists. With its' maze of paths and abundance of events, finding one's way around can be overwhelming and daunting. Current solutions (UCSC Maps; Google Maps; Apple Maps; etc..) don't fully address this complexity.

Our Solution (CruzMaps)

CruzMaps combines an interactive map with a social layer, tailored for UCSC students. It's not just about finding your way; it's about discovering what's happening on campus. Create a profile, join communities, and follow tags that match your interests. From computer programming or outdoor adventures interests, CruzMaps keeps you updated with relevant events, from hackathons to club meetings, all marked conveniently on your map.

Key Features

tldr: we can do everything that ucsc maps can but better p.s. we're mobile responsive

Tech Stack / How We Built It

CruzMaps is built with a NextJS framework and TypeScript foundation. Our latest commit will always be launched @ our Vercel deployment.

Our Blockers

For most of us, this project is a hands-on learning experience in TypeScript and NextJS. On top of learning the MapBox API, and overcoming development roadblocks, was a challenging yet rewarding part of our journey.

To get into the specifics, we struggled the hardest around robust coding practices. We strived to have a concrete structure that was error-proof; where most of our members are JavaScript newbies, we had difficulty understanding the concept of the combination of Promises, asynchronous functions, and interfaces.

What we're proud of

Being able to quickly implement the Mapbox API in a new coding environment to most of our members is super righteous. Those who were new also learned the syntax of TypeScript quite quickly and adapted to the new file structure that was very unfamiliar to them. We also managed our time well (having priority systems, correctly attributing priorities, assigning tasks to those who were best, ...) having a design document to manage our progress. You should check it out!

What we gained from this experience

For some of us, we learned a lot about the NextJS framework and TypeScript as both a front-end and back-end tool. We also learned organizing the file structure from one of our team members (Jason Son) in order to manage the processing pipeline much more easily.

Smaller, but valuable things we learned: we learned how to translate JS to TS, reading and creating documentation, and Git flow control.

Things to look forward for CruzMaps

We want to continue to develop CruzMaps and improve the product; here's what's on our agenda for after CruzHacks:

A bus API to track busses around campus to provide more accurate times than competitors (Apple Maps, Google Maps)
A mysterious and quite quirky Spotify layer that shows a random person (anonymously, of course) on campus and what they're listening to
A gamified layer to the map; users can optionally change the map to contain fog of war where as the user explores more of the map, more will be unlocked. Users can also upload guides for students, such as a quick guide to tour campus, best scenic spots, etc..
Mobile responsive web design & app release (App Store + Google Play)
Adding a simple large language model to infer user input to predict locations they might have misspelled/misinterpreted