PlatePal

AI-Powered Dining for Every Lifestyle

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PlatePal

Inspiration

Struggling with dietary restrictions meant endless scrolling through restaurant apps, calling places to ask about ingredients, and settling for subpar dining experiences. We wanted to eliminate the frustration of finding restaurants that actually accommodate your specific dietary needs.

What it does

PlatePal uses AI to instantly match your dietary preferences with nearby restaurants. Whether you're vegan, keto, have food allergies, or follow any specific diet, the app finds restaurants that actually serve food you can eat - no more guessing or endless research.

How we built it

  • React Native + Expo for cross-platform mobile development
  • Google Gemini API for AI-powered restaurant matching
  • Expo Location for GPS-based discovery
  • Custom responsive UI with easy-to-use, clean design

Challenges we ran into

  • Getting consistent JSON responses from Gemini API required extensive prompt engineering
  • Balancing comprehensive restaurant info with mobile screen constraints
  • Handling the complexity of multiple dietary requirements simultaneously

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Created an intuitive web/mobile interface that handles complex dietary needs
  • Successfully integrated AI to provide relevant restaurant recommendations
  • Built a cross-platform app with consistent performance
  • Designed a clean, accessible interface that works for all dietary restrictions

What we learned

  • Prompt engineering is crucial for reliable AI integration
  • Building a responsive app for both web and mobile screens requires in-depth design thinking
  • Dietary preferences are more nuanced than simple categories

What's next for PlatePal

  • Expand restaurant database coverage
  • Add menu item-specific filtering
  • Integrate with food delivery services
  • Develop community features for dietary-specific reviews
  • Add nutritional information and allergen alerts
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