Pomochan

A Chrome extension for focused studying that integrates the Pomodoro technique as well as a comforting built-in AI assistant cat named Pomochan.

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Inspiration

Introducing Pomochan, a Chrome extension designed for focused studying that combines the Pomodoro technique with a wholesome, built-in AI assistant. In today’s digital-first education landscape, distraction is one of the biggest challenges, especially for younger students learning online. While schools often respond with restrictive measures, Pomochan takes a different approach: it empowers students by placing the power back in their hands. With a cutesy cat assistant as a study buddy, Pomochan aims to spark intrinsic motivation and reward focus through a gentle, familiar tool: the Pomodoro timer.

What it does

Pomochan provides a calming productivity environment through:

  • A built-in Pomodoro timer that users can adjust and control
  • A prompt-engineered AI assistant (Pomochan the cat) that responds to user input with emotional intelligence, encouragement, and study support
  • A notification system that sends friendly reminders when it's time to take a break or return to work
  • All within a clean, accessible Chrome extension interface.

How we built it

Pomochan’s backend is powered by Flask and connects to a Claude 3 Haiku foundation model via AWS Bedrock. The frontend is built with HTML/CSS/JavaScript, and the timer and chat functions are bundled inside a manifest v3 Chrome extension.

Challenges we ran into

  • Configuring and getting access to the right AWS Bedrock model took longer than expected
  • Handling extension persistence, especially keeping the timer running after the popup closes
  • Getting desktop notifications working properly across OS and browser settings
  • Designing Pomochan’s responses to feel natural, supportive, and not too robotic

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Creating a fully working AI-integrated Chrome extension in a short timeframe
  • Designing a gentle user experience that emphasizes autonomy, not restriction
  • Making Pomochan feel like a genuine companion, not just a chatbot

What we learned

  • How to work with AWS Bedrock and integrate LLMs into real-time web tools
  • The nuances of Chrome extension architecture and background scripts
  • The power of good prompt design, even small tweaks, changed Pomochan’s tone and usefulness drastically

What's next for Pomochan

  • Adding tab management features to nudge users off distracting sites gently
  • Training Pomochan to summarize the current webpage and answer questions about it (RAG system)
  • Letting Pomochan track user progress over time and celebrate milestones
  • Opening up Pomochan to student customization: different animal assistants, new response tones, and visual themes
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