ExpirEase

Inspiration

The inspiration behind this project came from a shared frustration we’ve all felt: opening the fridge only to discover food we forgot about has gone bad. As busy university students juggling classes, friends, and life in general, we realized how much time and money gets wasted simply because we don’t have the tools to manage our food efficiently. The amount of food waste piling up felt unnecessary and avoidable. We wanted to create something practical that helps people save time, reduce waste, and make smarter choices with what they already have. At the same time, we were driven by a deeper value: equity. Instead of designing something that targets or favors one group, we chose to build a solution that empowers everyone equally, regardless of gender, because true equity means creating tools that uplift all people, not just balance the scales.

What it does

ExpirEase is an all-in-one food management system that helps you take control of your kitchen. It uses AI to scan photos of your groceries, automatically identifies items, and logs their expiration dates. You’ll get a dynamic inventory list sorted by date, making it easy to track what you have, what’s going bad, and what’s already gone. It monitors food waste and savings over time, giving you insights into your habits. Plus, it generates recipes based on what’s in your fridge—so you can cook smarter, waste less, and never wonder what’s for dinner again. With login and authentication, your personalized data stays safe and synced across all your devices.

How we built it

We built the app using React Native for a smooth front-end experience. To power the smart features, we integrated the Gemini AI API, which scans and processes food images and even generates recipe suggestions based on your ingredients. On the backend, Python scripts and Flask manage the data flow and keep everything running efficiently. Throughout development, GitHub Copilot was an invaluable aid, helping us write and refine code faster. To keep all user data organized and accessible, we implemented databases that store inventory and usage information securely.

Challenges we ran into

Building this project came with its fair share of challenges. One of the biggest hurdles was getting Flask to run smoothly and connect properly with our React Native front end. This integration took more trial and error than we initially expected. Since it was our first time working with AI, we also had to take the time to learn how to use it effectively, and learn how to make the Gemini AI API work for us. We had wanted to run the app on a separate device using Expo Go, but unfortunately there wasn't enough time. Last but not least, we had to navigate piecing together all the different components into one system, from frontend, backend and databases, to AI, API's and libraries.

Accomplishments and What we learned

We’re incredibly proud to have been able to bring this vision to life, turning an idea into a functional product that can make a difference. Most notably, our biggest milestone was using an AI API for the first time to enhance our work. This experience opened up new possibilities and helped further develop our skills. This was also the very first hackathon experience for most of our team, which made the journey all the more exciting and rewarding. On top of that, we have never used many of the frameworks and tools used in this project, so it was gratifying to learn and grow as developers while building something meaningful together.

What's next for Untitled

Looking ahead, we wish to transform this idea into a fully polished app that people can easily download and use in their daily lives. We plan to enhance the functionality of our features, making the food tracking, recipe generation, and inventory management even more intuitive. Strengthening security is also a top priority to ensure user data remains safe and private. These steps will help take us from a hackathon project to a functional, valuable tool for kitchens everywhere.