TouchGrass

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1) Inspiration: As a freshman, I struggled to make friends during my first quarter. I was living far from home, and while I was excited to be starting college, I found it hard to connect with people in my classes. I felt like I was missing out on all the fun events and activities my college had to offer because I didn't have anyone to go with. It wasn't until later in the year that I started to build friendships, but by then, I felt like I had missed out on so much.

The lack of social connections can also make it difficult for students to participate in extracurricular activities or find people to join them in exploring the outdoors. "Touch Grass" is designed to help address this issue by providing a platform for students to connect with each other and share their experiences with nature. By facilitating connections between students who share similar interests, "Touch Grass" aims to make it easier for students to build relationships and create a sense of community on campus.

2)What it does: In short, "Touch Grass" is an app designed to help college students who are busy with their schedules and find it difficult to take a break and enjoy some time outdoors. It facilitates connections between students who share similar interests, promotes outdoor activities, and community building. The app features location tracking, photo sharing, event updates, and is intended to help students stay active, relaxed, and connected with like-minded individuals who share their love for the outdoors.

3) How we built it: "Touch Grass" was built using a combination of tools and technologies to create a seamless user experience. Here's a brief overview of the main components and how they were used: Firebase: We utilised Firebase to seamlessly host the app's database of users and their corresponding metadata. This allowed for easy and efficient storage and retrieval of user data, which is essential for any app that relies on user-generated content. JavaScript, Typescript, Node.js, and React Native: These are programming languages and frameworks that were used to build the app's front-end and back-end components. JavaScript and Typescript were used to write the app's code, while Node.js was used to run the app's server-side code. React Native was used to build the app's mobile interface, allowing for cross-platform compatibility and a consistent user experience across different devices. Google Maps API: The Google Maps API was used to enable live tracking of pinpointed locations within the app. This feature allowed users to see where their friends were located in real-time, making it easier to coordinate outdoor activities and meet up with other users. Overall, the combination of Firebase, JavaScript, Typescript, Node.js, React Native, and the Google Maps API allowed the developers of "Touch Grass" to create an app that was easy to use, reliable, and provided a seamless user experience.

4) Accomplishments that we're proud of: We are proud of creating an app that helps address the challenges of social isolation and lack of physical activity among college students, while also leveraging the latest technologies to provide a top-notch user experience.

5) What's next for TouchGrass: One potential update for "Touch Grass" could be the addition of a new feature that combines the daily game with photo sharing. Here's how it could work: The game would be announced to all users of the app via a push notification every day of the week. The game would take place at a specific time each day, to encourage participation and ensure fairness. The game would involve a timer that counts down from a set amount of time, and users would have to race to a specific location before the timer runs out. When a user reaches the location, they would be awarded points based on how quickly they arrived and their overall participation in the game. The person who reaches first gets the most points, second and third would get lesser points, and so on. In addition to receiving points for reaching the location first, users would also receive points for posting a photo of themselves at the location within a certain time frame after the game ends. At the end of the week, the user with the most points would be declared the winner, and could potentially win a prize or recognition within the app. This new feature would add an exciting new element to the game, while also encouraging users to explore new locations and share their experiences with others in the app. It would also help build a stronger sense of community among users, as they compete and share photos together throughout the week.