Inspiration
We began this project with the aim of connecting cultures after recognizing a lack of accessibility and inclusivity within Indonesia’s artisan communities. Despite the rich presence of craftsmen and artisans across the country, many remain undigitized and rely heavily on foot traffic from specific, often tourist-heavy locations. This limited reach has made it difficult for their crafts to be sustained or passed down to younger generations. In response, we sought to address this issue by integrating technology in ways that can both innovate and support the preservation, growth, and accessibility of these cultural practices.
What it does
Through this project, we explored how technology can be integrated into the cultural practices of Indonesian artisans. We identified a significant intergenerational gap, where traditions and heritage are increasingly lost due to a disconnect between older practices and contemporary lifestyles. To address this, we developed a tool that leverages language AI to bridge accessibility barriers, particularly in communication. We focused on creating an entry point for users to co-create with tailors by customizing their own apparel using a measuring AI system. This website aims to foster deeper engagement with cultural heritage and better understand the needs within a co-creative environment.
How we built it
Through this project, we explored how technology can be integrated into the cultural practices of Indonesian artisans. We identified a significant intergenerational gap, where traditions and heritage are increasingly lost due to a disconnect between older practices and contemporary lifestyles. To address this, we developed a tool that leverages language AI to bridge accessibility barriers, particularly in communication. We focused on creating an entry point for users to co-create with tailors by customizing their own apparel using a measuring AI system. This website aims to foster deeper engagement with cultural heritage and better understand the needs within a co-creative environment.
Challenges we ran into
Designing an efficient database schema for Meti proved challenging, as we needed to accommodate complex relationships between user profiles, custom clothing designs, and multilingual data while ensuring scalability within Supabase. Additionally, integrating AI features, such as MediaPipe Pose Landmarker and Azure OpenAI, presented numerous errors, including inconsistent outputs and compatibility issues with the Flask service hosted on Azure Web App, requiring extensive debugging to achieve reliable performance.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are thrilled to have successfully built Meti, a web app that seamlessly integrates AI-driven customization with MediaPipe Pose Landmarker and Azure OpenAI, enabling users to design personalized clothing and facilitating cross-lingual communication through real-time dialect translation into languages like Javanese and Bataknese. Overcoming complex database design challenges and AI integration hurdles, we created a scalable, user-friendly platform on Next.js with Supabase, hosted on Vercel, that empowers Indonesian tailors and customers worldwide to collaborate and preserve cultural heritage.
What we learned
Through this project, we explored how technology can be integrated into the cultural practices of Indonesian artisans. We identified a significant intergenerational gap, where traditions and heritage are increasingly lost due to a disconnect between older practices and contemporary lifestyles. To address this, we developed a tool that leverages language AI to bridge accessibility barriers, particularly in communication. We focused on creating an entry point for users to co-create with tailors by customizing their own apparel using a measuring AI system. This website aims to foster deeper engagement with cultural heritage and better understand the needs within a co-creative environment.
What's next for Meti
To enhance Meti, we plan to develop advanced customization features, providing users with more detailed options to effortlessly design their ideal custom clothing, ensuring a seamless and personalized experience. Additionally, we aim to expand the platform beyond batik to include a diverse range of clothing types and other customizable products, broadening our reach and empowering users to explore endless creative possibilities.
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