Inspiration
QR codes are supposed to make our lives easier, so why does opening one from an email feel like the exact opposite?
Don't worry, we've all been there. You receive an email with an important registration form, but instead of a "Click Here" link, you're greeted with a QR code. Granted, if you're listening to a presentation or scanning a flyer, it's convenient. However, you're already on a computer, so you can't just simply scan it with your phone. Instead, you have to download the image, find an online QR code scanner, upload the image, and then finally access the link. Look at all that effort you need just to open a form!
We realized that such a simple task shouldn't require so many unnecessary steps. Technology should make information more accessible, not create additional barriers. That's what truly inspired us to create QueueRadar, a tool specifically designed to eliminate these inconveniences and make accessing information through QR codes as simple as clicking a link.
What it does
Say goodbye to downloading, uploading, and manually scanning QR codes!
QueueRadar is a Chrome extension designed to simplify the process of accessing QR codes embedded in emails. By connecting directly to Gmail, QueueRadar aims to automatically detect QR codes in your inbox and convert them into clickable links. No extra devices, no sketchy third-party scanning websites, and definitely no unnecessary downloading and uploading!
But why stop there? We wanted QueueRadar to do more than just decode QR codes. By integrating Google's Gemini AI, we can analyze email information to identify important tasks, deadlines, and upcoming events. Whether it's registering for a competition, signing up for a volunteer opportunity, or remembering an upcoming meeting, QueueRadar is designed to help users keep track of important information without having to manually organize everything themselves.
Ultimately, we want to make accessing information easier for everyone, regardless of their technical experience or the devices they have available.
How we built it
We built QueueRadar as a Chrome extension using HTML and JavaScript, allowing users to access its features directly from their browser.
We started by using the Gmail API to connect our extension to Gmail and retrieve emails with the user's permission. To make this possible, we also worked with Google OAuth 2.0, which handles the authentication process. From there, we divided our project into two main components. The first focuses on identifying QR codes embedded in emails and decoding them into usable URLs. The second focuses on analyzing the information collected from emails and extracting useful details, such as tasks, deadlines, and upcoming events.
For the analysis portion, we integrated Google's Gemini API to help interpret email content. Instead of relying solely on specific keywords, Gemini allows us to identify meaningful information from emails and organize the results into structured data that can be used to generate tasks and calendar entries.
By separating these components, we were able to work on different parts of the project simultaneously and connect Gmail scanning, QR code detection, and AI-powered information analysis into one system.
Challenges we ran into
Of course, no hackathon project comes without its fair share of challenges!
One of our biggest struggles was getting our Chrome extension to communicate properly with Gmail. Although connecting to an API sounded relatively straightforward, configuring Google OAuth turned out to be much more complicated than we expected. We encountered authentication errors, incorrect credentials, and permission issues that required us to repeatedly troubleshoot our code and settings.
Another major challenge was integrating the Gemini API. We initially encountered account restrictions that prevented us from generating an API key, which complicated our plans for AI-powered analysis. We explored alternative approaches while figuring out how to move forward. Eventually, we were able to implement Gemini, allowing us to incorporate AI into our project as originally intended.
We also had to figure out how to connect different components of our project without interfering with each other's code. Since Gmail integration, QR code detection, and email analysis all serve different purposes, making sure they could communicate effectively was an important part of our development process.
Although these challenges were frustrating at times, they pushed us to think creatively, experiment with different solutions, and become more comfortable with debugging.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
One of our biggest accomplishments was turning a small, everyday frustration into an actual Chrome extension prototype! We're especially proud of successfully connecting our extension to Gmail and incorporating Gemini AI into our analysis system. What started as a simple idea to make QR codes easier to access grew into a project that could also help users identify important information and stay organized. We're also proud of how we approached problems throughout the development process. When our original plans didn't work out, we didn't simply abandon the features we wanted to build. Instead, we explored alternative approaches and continued making progress.
Most importantly, we're proud of creating something with a practical purpose. Rather than building technology just for the sake of building it, we wanted to create something that could genuinely make people's everyday lives a little easier.
What we learned
Throughout this hackathon, we learned a lot more than we initially expected! On the technical side, we gained hands-on experience with JavaScript, HTML, Chrome extension development, API integration, OAuth authentication, and Google's Gemini API. We learned how to connect external services to our application and use AI to interpret information and produce structured results. We also learned how different components of a project communicate with each other and how important it is to keep code organized when working as a team. Beyond programming, we learned how to approach unexpected challenges, troubleshoot errors, and adapt when things didn't go according to plan. We realized that even when an idea sounds simple, actually turning it into a functional product can involve a surprising amount of problem-solving.
But perhaps our biggest takeaway was that innovation doesn't always have to start with a groundbreaking idea. Sometimes, it starts with noticing a small inconvenience that people experience every day and asking ourselves, "Why hasn't anyone made this easier?"
What's next for QueueRadar
We're excited to continue improving QueueRadar beyond this hackathon!
One of our biggest priorities is making the QR code detection and email analysis features work together as smoothly as possible. We also want to expand QueueRadar's capabilities by allowing it to retrieve useful information directly from QR-code-linked websites, rather than relying only on the original email. Additionally, we hope to develop a more interactive to-do list and calendar, allowing users to save tasks, track deadlines, and organize upcoming events all in one place. In the future, we'd also love to improve our Gemini integration to recognize more complicated information, generate more accurate reminders, and better distinguish between registration deadlines and actual event dates.
Ultimately, we envision QueueRadar becoming more than just a QR code scanner. We want it to be a simple, accessible productivity tool that helps people spend less time navigating unnecessary steps and more time focusing on what actually matters.
Scan less. Stress less. Get more done.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.