Recalled

Ensuring consumer safety through instant recall verification via product scanning

Comment

📚 Inspiration

Foodborne illnesses claim the lives of 3,000 Americans annually. In the past six months alone, contaminated cantaloupe has resulted in 400 illnesses and six tragic deaths. The U.S. PIRG Education Fund's research reveals an 8% increase in food and beverage recalls nationwide in 2023. These alarming statistics underscore the pressing need for a tool that empowers the general public to verify the safety of their purchases. Recalled was developed with this mission in mind, offering users a safety net to scan their items and determine if their product is part of an active recall, thereby safeguarding them from consuming potentially harmful goods.

💼 What it does

Recalled is an innovative app that enhances consumer safety by turning the iPhone into a robust product recall scanner. Users tap the screen while the camera focuses on a product, and the app employs the Gemini API to identify the product name. It then searches an up-to-date Firebase-based FDA recall database; if there is no active recall, the app displays a 3D text confirming the product's safety. However, if the product is subject to an active recall, the app prompts users for additional details like serial number or best-by date to confirm the match. Upon verification, the app provides on-screen recall information and a 3D text indicating the recall status, empowering consumers to stay informed and safe.

🔧 How we built it

  • Swift: We used Swift as our primary programming language due to its ease of use with RealityKit, an AR/3D framework that allows the app to integrate virtual objects into the real world.
  • Firebase: We used Firebase to create a database of recalled products using the FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts website as source.
  • Gemini API: We used it to identify the captured image of the object, generate prompts for the user to provide more information about their product, and verify the recall status given the user's input.

🛠️ Challenges we ran into

  • The visionOS version of Recalled differs from the iOS version as Apple doesn't allow developers to access the device cameras. Therefore, we had to prompt the user to provide an already-taken picture of the product instead of scanning one from the app.
  • Placing 3D objects after processing the input frame and prompts was a challenge.

💪 Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Recalled is my first project directed towards the improvement of society and the well-being of communities.
  • This was my first time developing an AR/VR app for iOS and visionOS.
  • I successfully utilized Google AI for the first time, a technology I hadn't used before.

🧠 What we learned

  • I expanded my knowledge in Swift, especially with the RealityKit framework.
  • Interaction with Gemini API and Firebase.

🚀 What's next for Recalled

Recalled will aim to include more recalled product databases from other national authorities and even outside the United States. Our mission is to deliver to society a tool that can avoid some of the effects of food poisoning on individuals.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates