NutShell

Mock App Screen 1
Mock App Screen 2
Mock App Screen 3

Time is our most valuable resource. How we use it, where we use it, when we use it, we always find ourselves lacking the time to do the things we enjoy. NutShell documents vocalization and summarization dedicates an algorithm to save time while reading endless documents. For students, that can be a dry textbook passage. For consumers, that can be a terms and conditions replete with legal jargon. Especially in the fast-paced structure of our modern lives, we lament the fleeting sands of time, yet regret that that we cannot compromise the depth of our understanding. Our vision with NutShell technologies is to create a healthier environment that can combine multiple facets of a productive and happy society.

The NutShell application works by summarizing an input body of text into its key points and provides an option for it to be read out loud by an automated voice. The user is able to customize their experience by controlling how many sentences the app outputs, and thus has flexibility over how brief they want their summary. The app also provides a save option so that summarized texts can be accessed in the future. Whether working out at the gym or walking to the next appointment, NutShell has the ability to assist with multitasking capabilities.

Along the way we ran into several challenges. The first of which was the fact that our team of first years has limited experience with coding. Just the setup for GitHub was a challenge in itself. An additional difficulty was figuring out how to make our code compatible with the android/ios format. We built the front and back end separately and later discovered that we couldn’t merge the two ends. It was frustrating when we had to scrap a lot of our previous work and start creating both ends in java. We also ran into an issue compiling our jar file.

The concept of a hackathon has a romantic nuance: a group of students bonded by one idea and vision, dedicating an entire day and night to making ends meet. Our team, comprised of entirely new first-years members with little coding experience, was excited by this opportunity to garner our creativity and informational background to piece together a tangible product that can add value to our societal counterparts. As a team, we value our accomplishments, not only by the product that we formed, but by the the team camaraderie that helped us endure multiple blockades and challenges.

Moving forward we hope to improve the UI of the program and make it align closely with our mock ups. We also want to put NutShell on app stores and launch it on Brown’s campus, as well as campuses across the nation. As members of a competitive society that constantly demands for the best, we hope that NutShell can implement healthy changes that will amplify learning efficacy, allowing time and energy for self-care and mental well being.