Travel Time

An all purpose travel app which allows you to plan trips, create NFTs, compete against others for mileage, and create blogs.

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🌐 Domain Name: https://travel-time.tech/

☁️ Inspiration

It's often hard to plan a trip to a good place with reservations, travelling, etc.

Our app Travel Time features the ability for users to plan trips, create NFTs, talk with others about their trip experiences with blogs and comments, and compete against others for mileage.

🚧 What It Does

Our application has many features.

Blog System:

Allows users to post blogs about their adventures in the world. You can post an image of the place that you visited as well as rate the post. You can also post comments on the blogs.

Maps System:

You can plan trips using the map system which is navigated by the Google Maps API's Directions API. You can compete against other users on the platform to see who can travel further. You can also see a user's past runs and their mileage

NFT System:

You can create memorable and potentially sellable NFTs

Parks System:

Allows you to see National Parks around you based on activities that are hosted there.

👨🏾‍💻 How We Built It

Front End Tech Stack

  • React.JS
  • Tailwind CSS

The backend used many different technologies:

  • markdown2html - A library to convert markdown to HTML as markdown appeals to more people.
  • replit.db - Our main database to store text data.
  • flask - The server framework that powers the API.
  • Cohere - We used Cohere for the NLP part of our application. Using Cohere’s easy-to-learn API, we implemented a text sentiment detector to block any negativity site wide.
  • Deso - For storing images and other files, we used Deso. We chose it because it provided a lot of security for user files. Keeping the files secure is key to not getting hacked and ruining the application.
  • NPS - For finding the location and activities of parks, we use the National Park Services API to help users query search for parks with certain activities.
  • Google Maps - We used the Google Maps APIs' for autocompletion, direction rendering, distance, and markers. This allowed us to access the map to show us the route from our location to the desired park.

👷 Challenges We Ran Into

  • Google Maps was tedious for our desired goal, however, after much experimentation, we found a breakthrough. We also had several issues trying to get content to display via the NPS API that we learned to use for the first time.

  • In the backend, using Deso's API was very hard. Though the docs were easy to understand, the actual implementation was quite difficult. At least an hour was spent debugging the whole Deso part, but in the end, we debugged it.

  • Also, finding a perfect dataset for NLP was hard. We had to find a very accurate one so we wouldn't cause false positives on the site. All in all, the backend was quite challenging.

🎉 Accomplishments That We're Proud Of

We are very proud of our app is functional in all aspects. There were many technologies used such as Deso, Google Maps and Directions, Cohere's NLP, NPS, and more. Overall, we enjoyed this hackathon a lot while working on the numerous libraries in our app.

📙 What We Learned

We definitely learn a lot in this hackathon.

  • Firstly, we learned how to use Deso's API. Implementation was very hard, but in the end, we got it. We also were able to get Cohere's NLP working. Through scanning the Google API's documentation and browsing their examples, we were able to successfully create a working multipurpose GPS.
  • Navigating through NPS' API was challenging with little documentation, however, after multiple trials and errors, we manage to query for parks based on different activities.

🌎 How this app changes the World:

Our app changes the world in many ways.

  • First, through blogs, we can help people share their stories, incentivizing users to take on their own hikes. They get the opportunity to view the most scenic places in the world. They do this in a positive environment protected by NLP which is crucial not only for stopping negativity and hate but also because people are more likely to create posts if they know that they will be supported.

  • Second, through maps, we are able to decrease the blocking wall between thinking of going on a trip and actually going. No matter where they are, we give them the tools they need to plan and execute an actual trip whether it's walking, driving, biking, or some other mode of transportation.

  • We also give them a leaderboard that can challenge themselves through friendly competition a way to beat their co-users and overall be the best of the best at travelling the world.

  • If people want to see other users' journeys through travel, they can view their log in the leaderboard and see their previous hikes and where each of them was to see those amazing experiences.

  • By travelling, you can learn to experience nature and its beauties. You also get a sense of how wonderful the world is. By hiking, you build physical strength, a key part of health and an amazing thing in life.

  • Next, the NFT system allows people to store memories in a valuable spot with ownership due to how NFTs work. We also give them a way to easily sell NFTs of travel photos that they wish to sell. Last, the park system allows users to look at nearby parks such that they can visit those parks based on the activities they wish to do. Those activities can expose people to new topics as well as nature. It also makes it much more convenient to plan your next campout through looking at global national parks.

🔜 What's Next For Travel Time

  • More/Better Implementation of Deso
  • Better UI Styles
  • More Features to Sort By
  • Backend API Using Blockchain Libraries

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