GroundTruth

loreemy

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Inspiration

I remembered when i traveled to Liberia for the first time, the distance from the international airport to a local food vendor or any neighboring relaxation venue was a bit far, I had to get across to my people in Nigeria on the update of my journey,i don't know where to get sim card, i could only rely on google search and neighbour hours and since then, the idea of groundtruth stuck.

GroundTruth was inspired by the "last mile" information gap in emerging markets like Lagos and Ibadan. While Google Maps tells you where a business is, it often fails to tell you how to actually get things done there. We noticed travelers and locals alike wasting hours trying to find the right entrance, showing up when "open" shops were actually closed for lunch, or not knowing which documents to bring. We wanted to turn "I need to get a SIM card" from a two-week ordeal of trial and error into a 20-minute seamless errand.

What it does

  1. GroundTruth is an AI-powered travel and errand companion that provides "Ground Level Intelligence."

  2. Claude-style Conversational UI: Users can naturally ask for what they need.

  3. TrueTime Intelligence: Goes beyond official hours to provide "Reality Check" timing (e.g., "The English-speaking rep leaves at 2 PM").

  4. FirstFoot Guide: Provides step-by-step physical instructions on how to enter a venue, which counter to visit, and even what "secret" tips locals use.

  5. Wayfinder Intelligence: Calculates real-time walking, driving, and transit times, including "Route Analysis" that warns about local traffic patterns.

  6. Crowd Intelligence: Predicts venue occupancy to help users avoid the rush.

  7. Live Traffic & Map Integration: A rich interactive map with live traffic layers and venue markers.

How we built it

We built GroundTruth using a modern, high-performance stack with the help of and medo platform, comprising of:

  1. Frontend: React + TypeScript + Vite for a snappy, type-safe user interface. Styling: Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui for a professional, "Claude-inspired" aesthetic with built-in dark mode.

  2. Backend: Supabase for authentication and database management.

  3. Serverless: Supabase Edge Functions (Deno) to securely handle Google Places API v1 (New) requests.

  4. Mapping: Google Maps JavaScript API for interactive visualization and traffic data.

  5. AI Logic: Custom intelligence layers that process venue data to generate "FirstFoot" and "Wayfinder" insights.

Challenges we ran into

  1. API Transition: Moving from the legacy Google Places API to the New Places API (v1) to get rich data like formatted phone numbers and improved distance sorting required a significant refactor of our data models.

  2. State Management: Keeping the chat history, venue intelligence, and map state in sync without sacrificing the Minimalist UI performance was a delicate balancing act.

  3. Contextual Intelligence: Designing an AI that could provide specific, helpful "Local Tips" based on sparse API data required creative prompt engineering and mock-data modeling for the hackathon demo.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  1. Interactive Venue Cards: Successfully moved away from text-heavy AI responses to a rich, UI-driven card system that integrates navigation and intelligence seamlessly.

  2. Wayfinder Engine: Built a custom logic layer that estimates transit times and provides human-readable route analysis.

  3. Aesthetic Excellence: Achieving a high-end, airy, and professional Minimalist theme that prioritizes reading comfort and ease of use.

What we learned

  1. We learned that the most valuable data isn't always in an API. The real "GroundTruth" often lies in the small details—like knowing which counter has the fastest service or where the hidden entrance is.

  2. Building this project taught us how to bridge the gap between high-level map data and low-level human experience through a conversational interface.

What's next for GroundTruth

  1. Real-Time Crowd Sourcing: Allowing users to contribute their own "GroundTruth" tips (FirstFoot instructions and TrueTime updates) in real-time.
  2. Voice-Guided Errands: Implementing a hands-free mode for users who are already on the move.
  3. Hyper-Local Expansion: Deepening our intelligence database for more cities across Africa and other emerging markets.
  4. Integration with Local Services: Allowing users to book appointments or check-in directly through the chat interface.
  5. Mobile Integrtaion: We believe groundtruth on mobile will be more efficient on users device as they will be able to use it on a go, it will help them navigate thier way to the local vendors.

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