Tooly!

Inspiration: We drew inspiration from library apps like Libby, which offer clean user interfaces and features such as loan reminders. These user-friendly designs influenced our approach to tool lending.

What It Does: Our redesigned website automates the tool booking process, eliminating double bookings. We’ve also integrated an AI chatbot that helps users find available tools, recommends tools based on tasks, and provides guidance on how to book via the ToolLibrary platform.

How We Built It: We used AI to design a smart user interface that connects with MyTurn and FastAPI. Requests made through our chatbot, Tooly, query a central database that manages tool waitlists and assignments. This system also sends users text and email updates regarding wait times, availability, and return dates.

Challenges We Faced: One major challenge was staying budget conscious for an emerging nonprofit. We aimed to boost accessibility without raising costs. Another hurdle was working within MyTurn’s limited integrations, which made automation and database syncing more complex than expected.

Accomplishments We're Proud Of: We’re proud to have built an accessible, community-focused solution aligned with ToolLibrary’s mission. Our platform increases equitability across the Buffalo area, requiring only a basic computer easily available in public libraries. It also simplifies volunteer training, encouraging more engagement and reducing tool waste.

What We Learned: We learned to leverage AI more effectively through better prompting. Our ideation process wasn’t linear we revisited and improved upon early concepts. Most importantly, we stayed grounded, constantly evaluating whether our solutions truly addressed the core problems.

What’s Next for Tooly!: Tooly is built to grow. Future updates include QR code integration to streamline checkouts and expanded database storage to support more tools and users at a low cost. We envision Tooly as the backbone of a smarter, more connected tool-sharing community.

Built With

• fastapi
• myturn