๐ Inspiration
Our teammate spoke with the Mayor, who shared that Markham has already achieved an impressive 80% waste diversion rate โ but the ultimate goal is 100%! According to https://www.earthday.org/how-our-trash-impacts-the-environment/: "Bad trash management could be the downfall of humanity, wildlife, and the health of all ecosystems. If emissions from landfills continue to increase as projections forecast, our climate will not only be negatively impacted, but human health will be too. Itโs a sobering fact that even though high-income countries only account for 16% of the worldโs population, they are responsible for around 34 percent, or 683 million metric tons, of the worldโs trash." Thatโs where DumpItLikeItsHot โป๏ธ๐ comes in! Our web app transforms a serious problem into a fun and impactful solution.
๐ฎ What it does
DumpItLikeItsHot gamifies trash disposal. Users scan items to see whether they belong in the trash ๐๏ธ๐ฎ, recycling โป๏ธ, or compost ๐, earning experience points (XP) along the way. A dynamic map ๐บ๏ธ tracks where waste has been collected and what type it was, while a leaderboard ๐ showcases the top performers. By blending gamification with real-world action, our app motivates communities to keep streets cleaner and healthier, all while having fun ๐.
๐ ๏ธ How we built it
Our tech stack combines:
- Frontend: React โ๏ธ
- Backend: MongoDB, Python ๐, and Express
- Image detection: Gemini ๐ธ
- Classification & disposal info: TensorFlow with the COCO model ๐ค
- Mapping: Leaflet ๐บ๏ธ
โ ๏ธ Challenges we ran into
At one point, the app mistakenly detected a person as trash๐๏ธ๐ซ, we fixed that! Implementing the Leaflet map ๐บ๏ธ was tricky at first, but with guidance from a mentor, itโs now fully functional โ .
๐ Accomplishments weโre proud of
Weโre especially proud of the pixel avatars๐งโโ๏ธand smooth animations โจ, they make the experience fun and engaging.
๐ What we learned
This project taught us how to integrate AI ๐ค with real-world applications, the importance of mentorship ๐งโ๐ซ, and how gamification ๐ฎ can encourage positive environmental behavior ๐ฑ๐.
๐ Whatโs next for DumpItLikeItsHot
Our next steps include transforming it into a fully functional mobile app ๐ฑ with offline capabilities, ensuring a seamless experience across devices, and incorporating additional gamification features ๐ฏ to make trash disposal even more rewarding. Users will literally be saving the planet ๐, one item at a time ๐งโโ๏ธ๐ฎโป๏ธ!
Built With
- coco
- express.js
- gemini
- leaflet.js
- mongodb
- python
- react
- tensorflow
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