66surfing

• 

  the poster

Inspiration

Our motivation for coming up with the project is driven by the popular culture of taking road trips in the USA and the trucking industry in the country that connects all major cities in the country. Truck drivers take lots of trips covering thousands of kilometers alone, which poses health hazards such as fatigue and safety challenges because drivers fall asleep at the wheel out of boredom and exhaustion.

Another motivation behind our project stems from the popular practice of Couchsurfing where individuals host others in their homes and build social bonds through cultural exchanges. We thought, why not create something similar except for road trips rather than hosting individuals in our houses. Thus, we came up with the concept of 66surfing.

What it does

66surfing is an innovative platform that brings together truck drivers and passengers interested in traveling long distances throughout the United States via hitchhiking. Through this website, drivers can advertise their routes, number of available seats, and other important information, and passengers can find suitable rides to their destination.

Using the 66surfing application, both drivers and passengers have the opportunity to join the same ride by matching according to their routes and schedules. Throughout the journey, the driver and passenger have access to various security options, such as user ID check and real-time GPS, as well as an emergency button. After the trip, users can rate each other for building future trust in matches.

How we built it

Our design for 66surfing is a system through which truck drivers and passengers can be linked up. Drivers will be able to sign up, identify themselves, and share details of their routes, including time of travel and vacant seat capacity. Passengers, on the other hand, can look for rides, check out information about drivers and their reviews, and make requests to join rides.

We made sure to include various security measures in the design, such as driver and passenger verification, a reciprocal rating process, and an emergency SOS function. We also incorporated preference options to make sure that people get what they are looking for, whether a quiet or talkative drive.

Challenges we ran into

The key issues one faced included balancing the three parameters: safety, usability, and feasibility. In light of the fact that the platform would involve connecting strangers, the need for security was at an all-time high. Therefore, ensuring the safety of users without reducing usability or making the solution unfeasible was critical.

Another issue related to limitations from a legal standpoint, such as legislation associated with transporting passengers in a truck by truck drivers. We don't necessarily know all of the rules, but we hope that truck drivers will adhere to these legalities.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Among our key accomplishments has been the development of a concept to something more tangible that solves the problems faced in reality, such as driver fatigue, accessibility to travel, and cultural connections. We were successful at applying the concept of Couchsurfing to transportation so that it became something new and achievable.

We came up with the idea of a safe system with the features of identity verification, mutual reviews, location tracking in real time, and an emergency SOS button to tackle one of the challenges associated with the project, which was building trust between strangers.

Moreover, we have created a structured workflow from creating a post for the trip until matching the passenger with the driver.

What we learned

In conclusion, the project revealed the process of taking an idea and turning it into a workable, practical solution. It was made clear that solving problems is not only about creativity but also requires having an understanding of what the users need as well as issues pertaining to their safety and other considerations.

The most important thing that we realized in this project was that trust is needed when developing an application that will allow strangers to interact in a particular way. In order to develop such a platform, we realized that features like identity verification and GPS tracking are necessary.

Besides, the process showed that in trying to solve a problem, it is not enough to come up with an innovative idea. Other real-life considerations have to be put into consideration in order to arrive at a workable solution.

Last but not least, participating in this project helped us build our skills in communication and problem-solving.

What's next for 66surfing

For future success, one of the goals in the developmental pathway of 66Surfing includes creating a fully functional and scalable platform. This can be achieved by increasing safety through the incorporation of advanced verification methods like background check and risk analysis using AI techniques. Moreover, the optimization of the match making algorithm will allow creating the best possible combinations of drivers and passengers according to their routes and behavior patterns.

One of the key steps in the process of scaling up 66Surfing includes seeking out partnership deals with independent truck drivers and logistics companies to make the service more practical and popular. Compliance with legal norms regarding transport will also be guaranteed for all approved drivers.

Furthermore, the expansion outside the United States will allow traveling around the world and experiencing road trips from other countries. The user experience can be improved by incorporating functions like trip planning, multi-language support, and cultural matching to increase the effectiveness of interactions with other people.

The ultimate goal in developing the service is to create a global platform that would unite people, reduce driver fatigue, and give an opportunity to enjoy traveling.

Built With

• css
• github
• html
• javascript
• vscode