EmergenSee

Inspiration

Inspired by IBM's call for code, we decided to build an android app that would help people evacuate during natural disasters. We do so by giving information on current weather alerts, the closest contact in a safe location, and the nearest shelter. This app makes it easy to get directions to a safe location and assure family and close friends that you are safe.

What it does

When a user is in an emergency zone, the app displays the current weather. In addition, the app lists the closest shelters (scraped from the Red Cross) and preprogrammed contacts. A user can then click on which contact to be directed to and the app uses Google Maps to direct the user there. Also, a user can see alerts from their family and friends.

How we built it

The app is built in Android Studio with a SQLite database. We used The Weather Company API from IBM for weather alerts from the National Weather Service and the Google Maps APIs for directions and current location.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating the different APIs was a challenge. One in particular was The Weather Company API. They had a "fake API" listed on the IBM website while their real API was on an external site. It took many IBM mentors and hours of confusion before we settled the issue! In addition, none of us had much experience with Android Studio, so it was an intense and rewarding learning experience.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

learning android studio
overcoming api issues
working with different systems
making something cool

What we learned

how to work as a team
combining different disciplines and skill sets (business/finance, design, programming) to create one product
our first android app in Android Studio!