Pebble

Inspiration

As college students, staying focused during long study sessions can be tough, distractions are everywhere. A report found that around two-thirds of U.S. students reported being distracted by the use of digital devices. In fact, the average human attention span has dropped to just 8.25 seconds, down from about 12 seconds in 2000. We wanted to build something that keeps us mindful, motivated, and accountable without feeling like another productivity app. That’s how Pebble was born: your personal study companion that helps you stay present and productive.

What it does

Pebble tracks your gaze, posture, hand movements, and phone usage to monitor your focus levels in real time. If it detects distraction, Pebble gently reminds you to refocus. You can also interact with Pebble through a voice agent, simply say “start” to begin your session or “pause” when you need a break. The goal is to make studying smarter, not stricter.

How we built it

We developed Pebble using VAPI, which powered our interactive voice agent through custom-built functions integrated directly into our React frontend. For the focus detection system, we trained an ML model using a cutting-edge research dataset capable of identifying loss of focus through visual and motion cues. We then connected this model with our VAPI agent, creating a cohesive experience where Pebble could both detect distraction and communicate responsively with the user.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating our frontend and backend systems proved to be one of the toughest hurdles, especially synchronizing real-time focus detection data with the voice agent’s responses. We also had to carefully tune our model to avoid false positives when detecting user movement or gaze changes.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud that we successfully built an end-to-end system that merges AI, voice interaction, and real-time monitoring — all in one web app. Most importantly, we learned how to work collaboratively under tight deadlines and use emerging tools like VAPI to bring an ambitious idea to life.

What's next for Pebble

Next, we plan to gamify Pebble by introducing a leaderboard system, study streaks, and personalized achievements to make accountability fun. We also aim to expand Pebble’s adaptability, allowing it to learn your unique study habits and provide even more personalized feedback over time.