Inspiration
Aditi loves walking, and Leo loves listening to podcasts. After hearing the introductory presentation, we immediately thought of our grandmothers, who love to share stories from their past yet spend much of their time alone. Visiting them feels like stepping into a time machine, as we listen to stories of places from decades ago and how those places have transformed over the years. We wanted to create something that not only preserves their memories but also builds a sense of community—connecting generations through the simple act of listening and sharing. This is how Memory Lanes was born: to turn walks into journeys through time and to give a voice to those who have so much to share, yet often go unheard.
What it does
Memory Lanes is an app that allows you to explore real-life stories from people in your city. When you visit the website, you’ll see a map with story points. By clicking on a point, you can view details about the storyteller and their location. Once you get there, scan a QR code to access their story, which includes their name, age, and a short description. You can listen to the story in audio or read subtitles in German or English. If you're interested in meeting the storyteller in person, you can request a meetup. Once enough interest is shown, volunteers organize in-person connections.
How we built it
We built the frontend using React, enhanced with TailwindCSS and shadcn/ui for streamlined UI styling. For mapping functionality, we integrated the Google Maps API. On the backend, we utilized Pocketbase, a plug-and-play solution that provides both a database and an API out of the box. For audio transcription and translation, we used OpenAI's Whisper model.
Challenges we ran into
Since a key feature of the website involves scanning QR codes with your phone’s camera, we needed to make sure it was mobile-friendly. This required finding fast and free hosting solutions for both the backend and frontend, which was new to us. With limited time to work with, it was definitely a challenge, but in the end, everything came together and now runs smoothly.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We’re happy with how the website turned out, especially the audio player and subtitle functionality, which are working smoothly without any major bugs or issues. We’re particularly proud of the live subtitles and translations, which we think add a really great touch to the experience.
What we learned
As this is our first-ever hackathon, we’ve learned a lot about rapid development and how to avoid getting bogged down by small details that aren't essential and can take up too much time. We also gained experience in quickly and easily hosting both the backend and frontend for free. Overall, it was a valuable learning experience that taught us how to work efficiently under pressure.
What's next for Memory Lanes
With the right infrastructure, Memory Lanes could be hosted as a fully functioning website, accessible to all residents of Munich. Automated story collection through AI-powered voice assistants could be implemented and our translated subtitle options could be expanded to include even more languages, making the platform more inclusive and user-friendly.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.