Inspiration
We realized that the existing EBT store locator is primarily designed for desktop use, which makes it difficult for people (especially on the go) to find EBT-accepting stores close by via their mobile devices. The mobile experience was broken and unusable, which created a significant accessibility gap, and we wanted to fix that.
What it does
mEBT is an iOS application that helps users to quickly and easily locate nearby stores that accept EBT. It uses google locations services and a clean UI to show users relevant information. We have a feature that allows users to favorite their frequented locations for additional usability, and filters so users can differentiate between markets, ATMs, restaurants, and more!
How we built it
We used a Flutter framework which utilizes the open-source programming language Dart with Google Maps integrations, as well as XCode for testing, OpenAI for genAI suggestions, and Git/Github for collaboration.
Challenges we ran into
We initially started with React Native, but after struggling with the dependencies and downloads, we decided to switch tech stacks to Flutter halfway through the time period. As we're beginner hackers and didn't have any experience with Flutter before this hackathon, we had to learn everything on the spot and consult heavily with mentors (shoutout to Bib!). We especially struggled with the Google Maps API, user geolocation, transferring all the EBT locations into the map, and filtering and searching functions -- essentially, everything.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Creating our first ever mobile app! Having zero experience with mobile app development coming into the hackathon, we're proud of sticking through and creating a project that can be expanded upon in the future. But in particular, we really like our google maps integration, geolocation, and locations that we've added.
What we learned
As one of the speakers, Kylie, mentioned at the beginning of the hackathon, it's better to fall in love with a problem than a solution. With our EBT locator problem in mind, we learned that there are so many ways to implement a solution, and that ultimately the goal is just to be able to solve the problem in a way that works for us. We did that with the tech stack switch, and we were also able to quickly pivot with other problems that arose, given our time limit.
What's next for mEBT
We'd love to expand mEBT to Android phones and continue implementing the features that we weren't able to finish. For example, we'd like to make the filtering, searching, and favoriting of stores fully functional in the UI elements, and also be able to incorporate the entire database of EBT locations into the Google Maps, rather than just a few.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.