CortiSolace - The "Cortisol" Tracker

Inspiration

Stress is hard to measure in the moment, and most people only realize they were overloaded after the fact. For RevolutionUC 2026, we wanted to build something that makes stress visible in real time and turns that data into simple actions. That idea became Cortisolace, a “cortisol tracker” that uses camera-based biometrics, habit logging, and social accountability to help users manage daily stress.

What it does

Cortisolace helps users track and improve stress patterns by combining physiological readings with lifestyle context.

Captures camera-based vitals (pulse, breathing, SpO2, blood pressure signals) and derives a stress score.
Shows trends in a calendar and weekly summaries so users can see patterns over time.
Lets users log activities like sleep, diet, exercise, and stressors to correlate behavior with stress.
Includes friends/groups features for lightweight accountability and shared progress.
Detects stress spikes automatically and stores spike events for follow-up.
Generates personalized AI wellness tips based on recent readings, activities, and spike timing.

How we built it

We built the project as a full-stack mobile health app:

Frontend: SwiftUI iOS app with Dashboard, Calendar, Friends, Groups, Tips, and Scan flows.
Backend: Firebase Auth + Firestore + Cloud Functions for secure data flow and business logic.
AI: Cloud Functions use Gemini API to generate short, actionable, personalized tips.
Data model: Separate collections for users, readings, activities, friendships, streaks, groups, and tips.
Automation: Firestore triggers for streak updates and spike detection, plus scheduled tip regeneration.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating and testing camera/biometric SDK behavior under hackathon time constraints.
Mapping raw physiological signals into a stress score that feels useful and intuitive.
Designing Firestore queries/indexes for social features and trend endpoints without overcomplicating schema.
Balancing privacy with social motivation (sharing meaningful status, not over-sharing sensitive biometrics).
Getting polished UX across scan, results, trends, and social screens while building backend logic in parallel.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Delivered an end-to-end experience: scan → save → trend → insight → action.
Built real backend intelligence (spike detection, streak logic, weekly trend aggregation).
Implemented personalized AI tips grounded in each user’s recent data, not generic advice.
Added social features (friend requests, leaderboards/groups) to increase retention and behavior change.
Kept the app design calm and approachable for a high-stress use case.

What we learned

Health products need both measurement and meaning; raw numbers alone are not enough.
Small, concrete recommendations are more actionable than long educational content.
Good data modeling early (timestamps, indexes, denormalized friend lists) saves major time later.
In hackathons, clear vertical slices beat perfect architecture: one complete user journey is powerful.
Privacy and consent must be built in from day one, especially for wellness and biometric-adjacent data.

What's next for Cortisolace - The "Cortisol" Tracker

Complete full production integration and calibration with the Presage SmartSpectra SDK.
Expand from stress score to richer longitudinal insights and adaptive interventions.
Add smarter “what changed?” explanations that tie stress shifts to sleep/activity patterns.
Launch push-based interventions at predicted high-stress windows.
Run pilot testing with real users to validate outcomes and iterate on clinical/behavioral impact.
Extend cross-platform support and strengthen group challenges/coaching experiences.