DebateMate

Inspiration

Our team is part of Massey’s Debate Team. Over the years, we’ve seen how a lack of structure and time management can prevent people from performing at their best. We wanted to build a tool that makes debating smoother, more efficient, and more engaging by automating timekeeping and offering real-time support with argument generation and speech structure.

What it does

Our app provides a sleek solution for moderating debates. It includes automatic timers with sound cues for the start and end of speeches, and tracks Points of Information (POIs). It generates random debate motions using AI, which users can also customize by theme or topic. It features a built-in text box for writing speeches, reducing the need for paper. After the debate, AI offers feedbakc.

How we built it

We used Python and Pygame to build the layout and logic, and OpenAI’s API for motion and argument generation. Pygame handled the interface and event management, while Python tied everything together. We worked collaboratively, using version control and code sharing to bring all the components into a single, unified app.

Challenges we ran into

A lot of the tools and concepts we used were new to us — especially integrating the OpenAI API. We had to learn how to work with external APIs, manage API responses, and handle new syntax. Working as a team also brought challenges with overlapping code changes and merge conflicts, which sometimes led to syntax errors and debugging marathons.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Successfully integrating AI to generate real debate motions and arguments Creating a functional, polished timer with visual and audio cues Designing an intuitive interface for managing debates from start to finish

What we learned

How to work with external APIs and process AI-generated text How to collaborate effectively in a team coding environment The importance of planning and clear version control when working as a group

What's next for DebateMate

We want to add more customization for different debate formats (e.g., British Parliamentary, Public Forum), improve the accuracy of AI feedback, and allow users to save or export their speeches. We also hope to bring this to mobile platforms or host it online so teams can practice remotely. We want to also add voice integration to let it here the speeches instead of having a judge print it.