Inspiration
There are many data collection tools but there are few data collection tools that use Chatbots as a channel. Many people now have access to a smart phone that could be used to collect data.
What it does
Mobile Data Collection, Aggregation and Analytics software that enables you to design simple forms and collect data via either Slack Chatbot, Telegram Chatbot, Facebook Messenger Chatbot and SMS. The data collected is instantly uploaded to a central server that can be downloaded into different format such as excel and pdf and geospatially analysed on Google Maps. The data can also be automatically emailed to a recipient or sent to a 3rd party system by calling an its API. We support collection of text, integer, decimal, radio button (single select), photos, videos, gps co-ordinates and mobile money. We are also the first chatbot worldwide to support collection of mobile money payments as a question type.
How I built it
I did R&D and first designed a form builder that could enable one to easier design a form. Then, I integrated with the external chatbot API's to send and receive data. An active form being filled is saved in a session. I build an intelligent algorithm to know the current question, perform on the fly question validation and return a list for multiple question.
Also, Natural Language Processing (NPL) questions are sent to API.AI and the results are returned to the user after we hit an intent.
Challenges I ran into
Integrating to external API and NPL API's. It was a learning experience where I improve my skills of better design, development and consumption of RESTful API. Also, interacting with NPL educated my on Intents, Agents and Entities
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
We've built the following:
- Easy to use and intuitive form designer. We support collection of text, integer, decimal, radio button (single select), photos, videos, gps co-ordinates and mobile money.
- Integrated to Slack, Telegram, Facebook Messenger Chatbot, SMS.
- SurveyChat.co was used in USA election monitoring.
- SurveyChat.co has 50 beta users testing the system from across the globe.
- SurveyChat.co is used to reports sexual and domestic abuses of women and children in Iran
- SurveyChat.co is the first chatbot in the world to collect money via mobile money (MPESA). There is a question type just like text that enables one to collect funds.
What I learned
Chatbots is the next frontier and offers immense opportunities to disrupt areas of data collection, customer service and support and finance.
What's next for SurveyChat.co - Chatbot Data Collection System
- Open the slack chatbot to slack users to be able to collect data via slack
- Integrate to Amazon Lex for Natural Language Processing
- We want to build an Android mobile app.
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