CalmSpace

Empathetic AI chatbot that helps students manage stress through breathing, reflection, and trusted support.

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Inspiration

Sitting in my dorm room, I watched my roommate win a hackathon. I thought: if he can do it, then I can too. That moment inspired me to explore the IT field.

Through Instagram I discovered Devpost and decided to try my luck. With only 3 days left before the hackathon deadline, I knew nothing about coding. I watched YouTube tutorials and realized that "vibe coding" was exactly what I needed. Using Google AI Studio, I built my very first application.

The idea came again from my roommate — it seemed like he needed some psychological support. Mental health and emotional stability among teenagers and students is a very relevant issue today, and I wanted to create something that could help.

What it does

CalmSpace is an empathetic AI-powered wellness assistant.

  • It provides a supportive chatbot for emotional conversations.
  • Offers guided breathing exercises and short meditations.
  • Tracks mood before and after practices.
  • Sends alerts to trusted contacts if high emotional risk is detected.
  • Includes reflection prompts, music therapy, and “silent support” mode.
    ## How we built it
  • Frontend: React Native (Expo)
  • Backend: Node.js + Express
  • Database: Firebase
  • AI: Google AI Studio + Hugging Face NLP
  • Automation: Zapier / Make
  • Notifications: Twilio (SMS), SendGrid (email)
  • Voice analysis: Google Speech API. ## Challenges we ran into
  • Learning everything from scratch in just 3 days.
  • Making the chatbot sound truly empathetic and supportive.
  • Designing a safe alert system that respects user privacy.
  • Balancing simplicity of MVP with meaningful features.
    ## Accomplishments that we're proud of
  • Built a working MVP with chat, breathing practices, and trusted alerts.
  • Integrated mood tracking and reflection prompts.
  • Designed a clean, calming interface and logo.

  • Learned how to use Google AI Studio and no-code tools effectively.

    What we learned

    Participating in this hackathon taught us several valuable lessons:

  • Learning by doing: Even with zero prior experience, it is possible to build a working MVP in just 3 days by focusing on the essentials and using available tools like Google AI Studio.

  • The power of empathy: We discovered that the most important part of building a mental health app is not the technology itself, but how empathetic and supportive the interaction feels to the user.

  • Balancing ethics and innovation: We learned how crucial it is to design features responsibly, especially when dealing with sensitive topics like mental health. Clear disclaimers, privacy respect, and safe alert systems are essential.

  • Rapid prototyping: Using no-code and low-code platforms allowed us to quickly test ideas and turn them into a functional prototype without deep coding knowledge.

What's next for CalmSpace

  • Expand the “trusted circle” feature to include multiple contacts.
  • Improve voice emotion analysis for more accurate support.
  • Add more guided meditations and personalized routines.
  • Localize the app for multiple languages.
  • Explore partnerships with universities to support student wellness.

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