Inspiration
I recently went on a trip to Italy so hearing about this track and its prizes peaked my interests. When traveling, there are so many problems just with planning that its almost makes you want to cancel before you get to the part of the trip that you're suppose to relax. Even after planning, the leader of the group is the only person with an idea of what the plan is for that day.
What it does
I created this website to hopefully make planning simple and easy using a chatbot. Additionally, the UI is very pleasing to look at and makes it easy for people in the group to know what the plan is. Features include AI copilot for each trip that can add items to itinerary, collaborative trips, Tinder-style discovery, and 3D globe geocoding.
How I built it
After creating a basic express app, I connected MongoDB for the backend and just vanilla CSS and HTML for the frontend with separate auth pages, a dark theme, and a polished UI. I then used Groq for its free OpenAI-compatible API for the chat bot and AI tool-calling which allowed the AI copilot to add events the the itinerary. The Tinder-style discovery feature was added to explore destinations using Groq as well. I implemented a 3D globe visualization interaction to give a modern feel to the website. I also added multi-user collaboration and permissions for trips.
Challenges I ran into
Setting up the database and all the API keys. Also making it so that the Copilot can add things to itinerary took a while because the Copilot would try to add events to itinerary without enough information. Another challenge I would run into would be testing the AI Copilot because I had limited responses because I am using Groq free plan.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
I love the tinder like feature where the Copilot grabs common places to go around the area and you can swipe if you want to add it to the Wishlist or not. Another accomplishment I am proud of is the 3D globe where there is an animation that flies you to where your trip is.
What I learned
I learned how powerful generative AI becomes when you give it the right tools. Using tight system prompts, structured tool schemas, and server-side validation made it so the model couldn't create misinformation and could actually add to the itinerary.
What's next for Travel Chatter
I want to scale project so it would be an actual website by adding things like user authentication and Copilot issues because there should be some prompt restrictions because of cost and ethics. Additionally, a billing plan would be nice so that people don't run out of chats and I can make some money.
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