Inspiration
I've always had a passion for fighting for what's right, especially on behalf of those who couldn't fight for themselves. From the topic of fighting harassment, I modeled my hack around an app that intends to fight sexual assault.
What it does
The goal of my app is two-fold.
The first is to alert emergency services (medical and law enforcement) in a minimal amount of time and in the least conspicuous way possible. By merely opening an app and pushing a button, I reached the optimal balance between reducing human error and app-practicality.
The second goal was to create a platform for people in the area to aid or intervene in the act of harassment. By notifying other users of the app in the proximity of the incident, it would increase the chances of being rescued.
How I built it
I used Java and Android Studio to build the app and Java on NetBeans to host a server. I used the Twilio API to send SMS and receive SMS.
Challenges I ran into
Initially, I wanted to use Amazon AWS, but I ran into problems because I was too young to sgn up for the service, even though I had credits. Additionally, since this product brings numerous device together, it was difficult to create a synergy between all of them. Some of the APIs that I used were paid, so finding quality alternatives proved difficult. At the end of the day, I bypassed almost all the major problems.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
I feel my app could be deployed in the real world and have a _ real _ impact on the world. I believe that is the true spirit of hackathons: to make things simpler and better.
What I learned
I learned to never underestimate the complicatedness of languages you know so well. Too many times we are taught things in schools, think we understand it, but when we apply it, everything crumbles. I've done numerous java programs, but the language never ceases to confuse me.
What's next for Antidote
I hope to utilize AWS and keep servers constantly running instead of being dependent on my computer being on and running the server.
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