TheHAPS

TheHAPS is a real time advertising platform connecting users to businesses using location on an embedded map.

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Additionally, please see README.pptx in git.

Inspiration

I went to Denver on a spring break trip. We went to a hockey game and a basketball game as scheduled, but the rest of the time was spent trying to figure out what the hell was going on in Denver. Driving back home, I realized that we missed out on a Kid Cudi concert at Red Rocks and a dance party down town, then it hit me. There is no one app that you can click on and see what is going on around you at any given time.

What it does

See attached image of a slideshow we made to showcase our product and what be believe it could become moving forward.

How I built it

We used a back-end powered by Python's Django framework with postgres as our data store extended by PostGIS for geospatial coordinate systems. We also interfaced with the Twitter API for user authentication and real-time trends on the business created tag corresponding the the event. The front-end was developed for Android with the Google Maps API supporting our characteristic view.

Challenges I ran into

Our single largest challenge was the lack of an experienced Android dev on our team. While we were able to make progress on the front-end, it lagged behind and was unable to implement all of the features we envisioned from the start and managed to set up on the back-end.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

We are very proud that we managed to accurately store undistorted geospatial coordinates in PostGIS and plot them using the Google Maps API. Integration with Twitter was also quite exciting, since, once the front-end is polished, the user will have live access to a stream of viral media relating on the events being showcased in the application.

What I learned

We learned that front-end development often requires more attention than the back-end, due to a combination of nuance in graphical design and difficulties in implementation of features.

What's next for theHAPS

We plan to polish the front-end and then move forward with collecting real data from sponsors in a medium sided launch city (Kansas City or Grand Rapids).

-- Matthew

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