Inspiration
I wanted to build a more affordable carpooling app because ride-hailing services are too expensive. The idea is to help people save money and reduce the number of cars on the road.
What it does
It's a mobile app where you enter a start and end location. It matches you with people going the same way within a 15-mile radius. A basic chat is included to coordinate the ride, and users have to agree on a price themselves.
How I built it
The app is built with React Native for the frontend and a Node.js backend. I used a PostgreSQL database with the PostGIS extension to handle the location matching. The chat feature uses Socket.IO.
Challenges I ran into
The biggest challenge was making the location-based matching algorithm fast enough.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
I successfully built the core feature: matching users based on their routes. The real-time chat between matched users is also functional.
What I learned
Through this project, I learned how to use geospatial queries in a database (PostGIS) to handle location data and how to set up a basic real-time chat with WebSockets.
What's next for the RideShare App
The next steps would be to add a payment system and implement safety features like user verification.
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