[Code Brigade] Emphasizing mental health during remote work

Sample of how chat might work
Counsellor

Inspiration

The inspiration came from observing how the pandemic has affected and changed the way people work. With remote working becoming the new norm and tele-communicating increasingly popular, many people overlook the psychological risk that it poses. As such, we aim to address this issue so that this new working space may be safer and comfortable for everyone.

What it does

It is a chat-bot that uses Augmented Reality (AR) to provide users an immersive chatting experience. This works as an artificial counselor that users can sound out their concerns to, in a private space that simulates a physical environment, thereby reducing feelings of isolation.

How we built it

First, we used Amazon Web Services (AWS) to create the AR objects like the Sumerian host and the background. Then, with the help of Amazon Lex and its lambda function, we created a conversational flow that runs the host and controls the the contents of the dialogue. Afterwards, ARCore, Google’s platform for building AR experiences is used to publish the scene to a phone application. This process is expedited with Sceneform, a SDK to be used with ARCore for an easier Android app building process.

Challenges we ran into

One of the major challenges faced was the exclusivity of AWS. The Sumerian host was only available in only certain regions and not for Singapore. As such, some parts of the the chatbot was not complete.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Even though we were unable to come up with a completed end-product, we did a mock-up of our AR chat-bot.

What we learned

One thing we should have done better was doing a more thorough research on the tools and technologies we would use. For instance, which regions are supported by AWS Sumerian host. Nevertheless, it was a great learning experience, diving deep into unfamiliar technologies and learning about AR and its possibilities.

What's next for Code Brigade

In the future, if possible, the app's technology can be integrated with other software in the working sphere, e.g. Skype, to allow co-working virtually while simulating working with colleagues. We could work with government bodies to integrate to apps such as SingPass, which allows for user identification, for a more seamless user experience directing to mental health resources with user consent.

Chat Bot operations sequence

1.The chat bot greets you
2.Press 'Space bar' to record your speech
3.Release 'Space bar' when done
4.The chat bot responds to your speech
5.Rinse and repeat