EcoRoute 🌱

Inspiration

Jakarta commuters often have to make difficult transportation choices. A motorbike may be faster or more convenient, while public transportation can be cheaper and produce fewer emissions. However, it can be difficult to understand the trade-offs between time, cost, and environmental impact.

We were inspired by this everyday problem and wanted to create a tool that helps commuters make more informed decisions without simply telling them which transportation option to use.

Through the Design Thinking process, we focused on the question: How might we help Jakarta commuters make more environmentally conscious transportation decisions while considering their time and budget?

What it does

EcoRoute is a web application that allows Jakarta commuters to compare transportation options based on:

⏱️ Travel time
💰 Cost
🌱 Estimated CO₂ emissions

Users can enter their commute, select their current transportation method, and compare alternatives such as motorbikes, cars, KRL, TransJakarta, and MRT.

EcoRoute also allows users to select their priority:

Save time
Save money
Reduce emissions
Balance all three

Users can then explore "What If?" scenarios, such as replacing some motorbike trips with KRL journeys, and see the estimated changes in time, cost, and emissions.

EcoRoute also includes an educational page explaining carbon emissions, carbon footprints, CO₂e, and how transportation emissions are estimated.

How we built it

EcoRoute was built as a web application with a frontend, backend/API, and the Gemini API.

The frontend provides the interface where users enter their transportation information and view comparisons.

The backend processes requests and performs the main transportation calculations. We use programmed formulas and predefined emission factors rather than AI to calculate the numerical results.

We integrated the Gemini API to provide personalized explanations of the results. Gemini does not generate the underlying emission calculations; instead, it helps translate the results into understandable recommendations and explanations.

The project also uses JavaScript for the application's logic and API communication.

Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges was deciding what problem we should actually solve.

Our initial concept was simply a transportation CO₂ calculator. However, we realized that this was too narrow. The real challenge is that commuters have to balance time, cost, convenience, and environmental impact.

Another challenge was deciding how to use AI meaningfully. We did not want to add AI simply because it was available. Instead, we decided that the numerical calculations should remain deterministic, while AI would be used to explain the results and make them easier to understand.

We also had to learn how frontend, backend, APIs, environment variables, and external services work together while building the project.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that we turned a relatively simple CO₂ calculator concept into a more interactive transportation decision tool.

Our What-If feature allows users to explore realistic changes to their commuting habits rather than assuming everyone can completely switch transportation methods.

We are also proud of our approach to AI. Instead of allowing AI to generate important numerical results, we use programmed calculations for consistency and Gemini to provide explanations.

Most importantly, EcoRoute focuses on informing rather than judging users. It recognizes that sustainable choices involve real-world trade-offs and gives commuters the information needed to make their own decisions.

What we learned

Through this project, we learned that solving a problem is not just about building a technically impressive product.

The Design Thinking process taught us to focus on the user's actual needs and reconsider our original idea when we discovered that commuters care about more than just emissions.

Technically, we learned about building a frontend and backend together, creating and using APIs, protecting API keys with environment variables, and integrating an external AI service.

We also learned that AI is most useful when it has a clear purpose. It does not need to be responsible for every part of a project.

What's next for EcoRoute

We hope to make EcoRoute more accurate and useful by adding:

More detailed transportation data
More Jakarta routes and transportation options
Real-time public transportation information
More accurate route-specific emission estimates
Personal commute history
More interactive carbon-impact visualizations
Additional What-If scenarios

Our long-term goal is to make sustainable transportation decisions easier for everyday commuters while recognizing the practical constraints of living and travelling in a large city like Jakarta.