ImmersionIO

An app that brings language immersion to you.

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RowdyHacksProject: ImmersionIO

MEMBERS AND ROLES:

Bethany Salazar

Setting up hosting services and database. As well as helped in front end pages.

Caitlin Coronado

Designing UI for front-end pages and created logo.

Aiden Johnson

Creation and functionality of the UI.

Theresa Crawford

Setting up hosting services and database. Building tables.

Inspiration

It is general knowledge that the best way to learn a new language is through immersing yourself into a country/culture. Due to current events happening in our world, there are now obstacles that either postpone or prevent people from partaking in this kind of experience. Our app removes this obstacle, connecting people from around the world allowing them to progress their skills in a language and experience a minor form of cultural immersion.

What it is supposed to do

Our project is a language networking application where people are connected with others who have the reverse of their language skill sets.

Example Interaction

Joe is from America who fluently speaks english and is learning spanish. He wants to learn how to have
more meaningful and realistice conversations in spanish, but he doesn't know anyone whom he can
practice with. This is where ImmersionIO comes in. 

Upon opening the app and creating an account, he is matched Maria from Mexico, who is learning 
english and is fluent in spanish. They would have ice breaker prompts to talk about, and can practice 
talking with one another for however long they like. If someone is inappropriate during this interaction, 
they can report them for bad behavior, in which their account and the relevant messages will be flagged 
for review.

At the end of the interaction, both parties must agree to friend each other and save the conversation for 
later. If any one of them changes their mind, they can disconnect from the conversation and the 
connection will be removed on both ends.

How we built it

Initial Tech Stack:

- Google Cloud: Serverless host
- CockroachDB: Data warehouse
- SQL: Querying language
- Java: Base language used to build the site
- CSS: Styling sheets for the UI
- OAuth: Authorization Protocols
- Twilio: Programmable telecommunication tool

Resulting Tech Stack:

- AWS EC2: Serverless host
- CockroachDB: Data warehouse
- SQL: Querying language
- Java: Base language used to build the site
- CSS: Styling sheets for the UI

Challenges we ran into

  • Linking Google Cloud and Android Studio
  • OAuth
  • Adjusting to SQL command line with CockroachDB (using Google Cloud)
  • Trying to move everything off of Google Cloud to AWS
  • Setting up a working EC2 instance on no sleep
  • Formating the Emulators
  • Time management in congruence with learning curves and debugging
  • Github file sharing and android studio git integration bugs (time eater)

Accomplishments that we're proud of

1. The idea
2. Pushing outside of our comfort zones
3. Trying to use new tech and software that none of had much or any experience in
4. Making it til the end :joy:

What we learned

- OAuth is a pain
- CockroachDB is pretty easy to configure, but would be better if we had a gui to use for db management
- Android Studio and Git have many, many bugs
- Layouts, refresh on application development
- Google Cloud
- More CSS

What's next for ImmersionIO

This project will probably get tabled for now due to school and work. It would be nice to go back and try to make the application deployable and finish out the messaging interface.

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