CampusBuddy

Inspiration

College students constantly struggle with finding trusted services within campus—whether it’s hiring a photographer, finding a room, or renting equipment. Most solutions are scattered across WhatsApp groups, Instagram pages, or word-of-mouth.

We wanted to build a single intelligent platform that connects students and solves these problems seamlessly.

What it does

CampusBuddy is an AI-powered campus marketplace where students can:

💼 Hire freelancers (photographers, designers, developers) 🏠 Rent or list properties within campus 🎥 Rent equipment (cameras, gear, etc.) 🤖 Use an AI chatbot to instantly find what they need 💰 Use a bidding system to get the best offers

👉 Instead of searching manually, users can simply type:

“I need a photographer under ₹2000”

And get instant results.

How we built it

Frontend: Next.js (App Router + TypeScript) Backend: Supabase (Auth, Database, Realtime) AI: Gemini API for natural language search Database Design: listings (freelance, rent, equipment) hires (requests system) bids (competitive pricing) profiles (user data)

We combined AI + database queries to convert user intent into structured filters.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating Gemini API with correct version/model Handling invalid JSON responses from AI Managing real-time bidding logic Fixing routing issues in Next.js App Router Designing a system where: Multiple users request Owner starts bidding One winner is selected

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a fully working AI-powered marketplace Implemented a real bidding system Created a multi-category platform (freelance + rent + equipment) Designed a clean dark UI with modern interactions Integrated AI that actually queries real data (not static responses)

What we learned

How to combine AI + database systems Real-world product architecture thinking Handling async flows and user state Importance of UX/UI in hackathons Debugging complex issues across: frontend backend APIs

What's next for CampusBuddy

How to combine AI + database systems Real-world product architecture thinking Handling async flows and user state Importance of UX/UI in hackathons Debugging complex issues across: frontend backend APIs

Built With

• gemini
• nextjs
• typescript