Garita en Minutos

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Inspiration

Living in Mexicali means living with the uncertainty of border crossing times. For thousands of people, crossing the garita is part of daily life for work, school, family, and business. The problem is that people often do not know how long they will wait, which creates stress, wasted time, and poor planning. We wanted to create a solution that gives people more control over their time and helps the community make better decisions before crossing.

What it does

Garita en Minutos is a mobile app focused on border crossings in Mexicali. It centralizes useful information about wait times in different garitas and their crossing modalities. Users can view current wait estimates, explore predictions for future days and hours using our AI model, and contribute to the community by sharing how long their crossing actually took. This creates a more informed, collaborative, and practical experience for everyone who crosses.

How we built it

We built Garita en Minutos as a mobile application with a user-friendly interface designed for quick access to relevant border information. We integrated real-time and community-based features, and we developed an AI prediction model to estimate future crossing times based on date and time patterns. The project combined app development, interface design, data handling, and machine learning to create a solution that is both practical and scalable.

Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges was designing a system that feels simple for the user while handling multiple features behind the scenes. Another challenge was working on predictions for future crossing times, since this required us to think carefully about how to structure and use the available data. We also had to balance functionality, usability, and clarity so the app would be easy to understand and useful in real life.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of building a project that solves a real and local problem in Mexicali. We successfully combined current information, AI-based prediction, and community feedback into one platform. We are also proud that Garita en Minutos is not just an idea, but a practical tool with clear social value, helping people reduce uncertainty and make smarter decisions with their time.

What we learned

Through this project, we learned how important it is to build technology around real user needs. We also learned more about combining software development with AI to solve everyday problems, and about the value of community-driven information in creating better digital solutions. Beyond the technical side, we learned how to transform a common frustration into an opportunity for innovation.

What's next for Garita en Minutos

Our next step is to continue improving prediction accuracy, expand the amount of useful crossing data available to users, and refine the app experience. We also want to strengthen the community section so reports become even more helpful in real time. In the future, we would like Garita en Minutos to grow beyond a useful app and become the go-to platform for smarter border mobility in Mexicali and other border cities.