Haven Hunter

• 

  Opening screen- offers separate features for guest, members, and administrators

• 

  Log in page with finger scan capabilities- protects user security

• 

  Users must enter a pin code to further protect their account

• 

  Guests who haven't been registered into the database are encouraged to visit a nearby shelter to sign up.

• 

  Users can see a map of local shelters and their current vacancies.

• 

  Case managers from homelessness agencies can input information about

• 

  3D model of a Haven Hunter Kiosk- approximately 30 will be installed in St. Louis City, spaced 2 miles apart each.

• 

  Haven Hunter is engraved on the side of the machine.

• 

  The finger print scanner in the top right corner is built into the kiosk to prevent theft.

• 

  All kiosks would be weather-proof. Initial installation~ $2,500 per unit. Upkeep~ $1,000 per unit

• 

  Credits

The Cougar Innovation Association... who are we?

Hello! We are Jacob, Trenton, Parth, Ben, and Pamela, and we are a group of sophomores and juniors from Affton High School. We are also members of the CIA- or the Cougar Innovation Association- which is a hackathon team led by a group of students at Affton. GlobalHack VI is our third official hackathon, and we are so excited to be here!

Inspiration

Haven Hunter was inspired by gym memberships and Redbox! What's that supposed to mean, you ask? Well, Haven Hunter will connect the homeless community with agencies through a card and kiosk system. This system allows agencies to work together to provide the best care for those in need.

What it does

When homeless people are taken into the shelter system, their intake information can be recorded by a case manager into the Haven Hunter website. This information is recorded into a common database that the entire CoC can view and manage. Then, each individual is given a unique account that helps them find the services that they need. These specific services are determined by the information recorded in the intake. Each account is secured by finger print scanners and a personal pin number. In order to record somebody's information into the database, they would need to have a computer with working internet and a finger print scanner.

When a person needs a place to stay for the night or is searching for other resources in the area, they can visit one of the 30 Haven Hunter kiosks dispersed around the city of St. Louis. By scanning their card and entering a security code, the kiosk connects to their personal account. While using the kiosk, the person can view shelter availability in the area and reserve a bed for the night. When they arrive at the shelter, the person can scan their finger print at the entrance, checking them in for the night. This system allows the website to keep track of how many beds are available and if reserved beds are being used.

The kiosk system also allows people to look for information that will help them get out of their situation. The kiosk will easily organize a list of resources available for education, mental health services, and job searches. If they select that they are interested in using a resource, the CoC can see this in the database and will be able to reach out to this person.

Also, the kiosk system can help those who are not yet registered find a place to register or seek help. If somebody has a concern about becoming homeless in the near future but is unsure about where to seek for help, they can view a map of shelters and resources in their area and their descriptions. This can help them start seeking assistance.

How we built it

The Haven Hunter website was built using Invision prototyping software and Photoshop. We planned the kiosks and finger scanners using Autodesk Inventor Professional.

Challenges we ran into

We are a group of quirky high school students, so almost all of our technological skills are self-taught or learned through PLTW Engineering. We struggled with finding a way to get around our lack of programming education, but settled on using what we are familiar with- Invision and Autodesk software. We are still a team-in-formation, so we found ourselves having issues collaborating and communicating.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We feel we did a better job working together than we have in our past competitions. Also, this was our team's first weekend-long competition, so even being here is an accomplishment that we're proud of!

What we learned

By competing in hackathons, our team has improved in our technological skills, especially with Invision. In the problem-solving realm, we've gotten better at defining a problem and audience. We also have learned how to work as a team.

What's next for the CIA?

We plan to start working with our coaches to learn HTML and other programming skills necessary for creating apps and websites. We are also working with our sister organization at AHS, the Innovation Club, to make technology an integral part of our school. We hope to continue to attend hackathons and improve our problem-solving skills and make the world a better place.

Built With

• autodesk-inventor-professional
• invision
• photoshop-cc