SustainaBite

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Inspiration:

Our inspiration stems from a deep commitment to improving meal decisions and cutting the food waste. Motivated by sustainability, we set out to revolutionize the culinary experience.

What it does:

Our project, a cutting-edge food recommendation system, leverages NLP, Neural Networks, and Collaborative Filtering. Tailoring suggestions based on both ingredients and user preferences, our fully functional iOS app, supported by Google Cloud, features an exceptional UI/UX, empowering users to make informed choices effortlessly.

The system efficiently processes user preferences, beginning from the moment you open the app, through past meal selections, ongoing preferences during usage, and the interests of similar users. By blending this information, it excels in providing robust recommendations, offering both reliable choices and enticing options to explore new culinary experiences.

How we built it:

In an intense 36-hour hackathon sprint, we engineered a robust iOS app with a backend on Google Cloud. Our recommendation engine intricately analyzes ingredients and user behavior, delivering personalized suggestions with precision.

Our recommendation system works in two modes. In Selection-Based mode, the system employs NLP to analyze the meal's ingredients, mapping them to similar meals for recommendations. The Hybrid mode enhances this by considering the choices of users with closely aligned interests, thereby refining the recommendations for even greater personalization.

Challenges we ran into

The primary challenges we encountered centered on the ranking algorithm of the recommendation system. We considered multiple approaches to refine the ranking algorithm, aiming for a balance between user preference accuracy and the novelty of meal suggestions.

Accomplishments that we're proud of:

Successfully developed a feature-rich iOS app with a polished UI/UX. Integrated NLP, Neural Networks, and Collaborative Filtering for precise recommendations. Established a reliable Google Cloud backend for scalability. Addressed sustainability concerns by incorporating CO2 emissions data in our app.

What we learned:

The hackathon experience illuminated the power of rapid prototyping, collaborative efforts, and the pivotal role technology plays in fostering sustainable practices in the food industry.

What's next for us:

Moving forward, we aim to expand the app's accessibility, refine recommendation algorithms, and explore partnerships to amplify our sustainability initiatives. By providing CO2 emissions information, we empower users to make eco-conscious food choices, contributing to a greener future.