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Google Docs Brief
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u0AesMQghN0BzArPuz2bi6H60BytyaDnVLUIHKUajHA/edit?usp=sharing
Inspiration
Hello! My name is Pratyush Mahadevaiah, and I am a rising sophomore in high school. My inspiration for EcoCommute was quite special and unique. Several weeks ago, I traveled to visit Greece and its remarkable culture. During my stay in Greece, one thing that caught my eye was the amount of independence from fossil-fuel-hungry automobiles and vehicles. Most people walked, used bikes, and used public transit as their main form of transportation! When I arrived back home, I couldn't help but wonder if I could bring this to my community and help people remove their dependency on cars and other environmentally harmful forms of transportation. After researching more about this problem, I realized that only 14% of Americans had used a bicycle for transportation in 2023! This is where EcoCommute was born. I decided that I wanted to build a platform where people would be motivated to put down their car keys and instead take their bikes to wherever they had to go. More importantly, I believe that an application like EcoCommute would save trillions of dollars in the global economy wasted on fuel and would help reduce the impact on the environment from one of the leading causes of CO2 emissions today.
What it does
My solution to promoting green and eco-friendly commuting and transportation is EcoCommute. EcoCommute is a social media platform that allows users to track and log their eco-friendly transportation activities, such as biking, walking, public transit, etc. Then, using the power of social media, they can share and compare their green commute to the community to inspire others. In this way, we are not only pushing the user to go out and help the environment to get points and achievements in the app but with social media, we are motivating others to try to do the same. It's the domino effect!
How I built it
I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could build a prototype with the time I had. I believed a small prototype would be necessary to gain attraction and kick things off. Once that is completed, I could start implementing other backend features. To build the graphics, I used a UI graphic program called UIzard, and have started working on a Unity project with implementations of the Social Media interface, secure Firebase database for holding data, and OAuth integration for user accounts. I also hope to use the Strava API for data integration in the future.
Challenges I ran into
Building this application has been far from easy. Creating an aesthetically pleasing as well as informative prototype for this hackathon was my top priority. So, I spent time researching various design techniques as well as prototyping methods to create the best UI product. I'd say it looks quite amazing now that I've finished my design. I took a lot of design inspiration from Strava, a popular running mobile app that lets you track your miles. However, I've focused this app purely on helping clean the environment by focusing on eco-friendly forms of transportation.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
As we're still in the prototype stage, I am very proud that I can showcase my efforts and progress through this hackathon! I believe that taking the initiative is the hardest step of any task, whether it be inventing something or building a social service product like I am. I hope that with this app, I can introduce the world of eco-friendly transportation to the people of my community to help clean the environment. That would be the biggest accomplishment of all.
What I learned
Through this project, I've learned the importance of community engagement, accountability, and thinking outside the box. I've discovered the profound impact of collective action and initiative and how, when someone puts their mind to it, can achieve anything.
What's next for EcoCommute
I believe that with the help gained from this hackathon, "EcoCommute" can gain the essential attention and social traction it needs to propel itself higher. With this newfound attention, we will be able to turn our young climate service app into a tool people use to gain confidence in eco-friendly transportation, and where people will be inspired to make a positive change. I wish to leave an impact on society with "EcoCommute", and I hope people worldwide will see how essential my mission is to create a cleaner world.
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