FloraTracker

Early front-end prototype.
Hardware discovery #1
Hardware discovery #3
Hardware discovery #2

Inspiration

Many plans go unnoticed by their owners, resulting in reduced life outcomes. Our product is designed to help preserve life for these living beings.

What it does

FloraTracker is a plant monitoring application which keeps track of vitals through sensor data and makes informed predictions aimed to help sustain life expectancy. It uses artificial intelligence and public environmental information to allow for smart decision-making procedures tailored to each plant owner.

How we built it

The application fetches data gathered from a Raspberry pi. This device is connected to a protoboard with various sensors attached to it which are placed at a plant to be monitored. Data is then recorded and stored at the Pi, which is then read by our application front-end. The Raspberry Pi connects to our machines using an encrypted VPN Tunnel (Tailscale), where data is received and interpreted by our application front-end (written in React Native). The application displays a dashboard with sensor data for each registered plant which updates in real time as sensors are moved/are subject to different conditions. The app then uses the Snowflake API to make informed decisions using sensor data, like whether a plant needs to be watered, or if it needs new soil due to low humidity levels. The app also uses Supabase for user authentication, providing an equally enriching experience tailored to each individual, and Google Gemini integration for further assistance.

Challenges we ran into

The largest challenge we ran into was ensuring a stable connection to the VPN tunnel, which was necessary to ensure SSH was done securely without exposing ports publicly. Ensuring all developers had their systems properly connected required mild delay in further development, but ultimately was proven to be worth the challenge after succession.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud to deliver an intuitive, AI-ready, scalable solution which leverages hardware components with software applications with a genuine use case for plant-owners and nature enthusiasts alike.

What we learned

We have learned a great deal about artificial intelligence, data analytics, network infrastructure, and further refined our time management and decision-making skills.

What's next for FloraTracker

FloraTracker will continue to evolve with a focus on efficiency, scalability and features, leveraging technical competence/developments and usability.