Eatinerary

Inspiration

The idea for Eatinerary came from our own experiences as busy college students struggling to balance our academic schedules, personal lives, and healthy eating habits. We frequently heard peers saying things like, "I’m at East Quad, but there’s no vegetarian food! Where should I eat now?", "The freshman 15 is hitting me hard!" or debating which dining hall to visit. We realized that there was a need for an app that could simplify these daily decisions by integrating personal health goals and schedules.

What it does

Eatinerary helps users optimize their meal plans and daily schedules by suggesting the best dining options based on their location, dietary preferences, and nutritional goals. It integrates seamlessly with Google Calendar, Maps, and Michigan Dining APIs to provide tailored recommendations and maps that align with users' existing commitments. Additionally, the app features a responsive chatbot that can adjust meal planning and scheduling in real time based on impromptu changes communicated by the user.

How we built it

We developed Eatinerary using React Native for robust cross-platform app development. Navigation throughout the app is managed with the React Navigation library, ensuring fluid transitions and organized screen management. Our backend relies on Firebase for secure and scalable data storage.

To enrich the app with useful data and functionalities, we integrated several APIs:

The Google Maps API and distance matrix API calculate travel distances and times, vital for scheduling meals around daily activities.
The Google Calendar API is used to synchronize with users' schedules, enabling the app to recommend dining options during available times.
The Michigan Dining API provides current menus from University of Michigan dining facilities, ensuring users have the latest meal options.
The National agricultural library API delivers extensive nutritional data, aiding in the customization of meal recommendations to fit dietary requirements.
Finally, the most critical component of our technological stack is the Gemini API, which is the powerhouse behind the AI elements of Eatinerary. This advanced API drives our chatbot, delivering exceptionally intelligent and personalized dining suggestions tailored to each user's unique preferences and dietary habits. What sets the Gemini API apart is its dynamic adaptability, which allows our app to modify recommendations in real-time as users update their schedules or change their preferences. This feature is not just innovative—it's transformative, making Eatinerary a truly responsive and user-centric application.

For the UI/UX design, we chose Figma to create a user-friendly and visually appealing interface. Deployment is handled through Expo workflow, which allows for real-time updates and testing over WiFi.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating Firebase with the multitude of APIs was our most difficult challenge. Each API, including Google Calendar, Google Maps, and Michigan Dining, has its own set of complexities, which required extensive debugging and synchronization efforts to ensure seamless operation within our application. The task was further complicated by the need to securely manage and store user data, adhering to best practices in data privacy and security.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are particularly proud of overcoming the integration hurdles and successfully creating a seamless, interactive, and highly personalized user experience. Our application not only meets but exceeds the expectations of our target user base by effectively managing their dietary and scheduling needs.

What we learned

This project deepened our understanding of API integration and real-time data handling in React Native applications. We also enhanced our skills in Firebase, learning to tackle complex data storage and retrieval scenarios effectively.

What's next for Eatinerary

Future plans for Eatinerary include expanding to additional universities to broaden our user base and tailor features to diverse campus environments. We are also looking to extend our offerings to restaurants, specifically accommodating students without access to dining hall plans. Moreover, we plan to include scheduling of gym times and specific workouts that align with users' health goals, enhancing the overall utility and personalization of our service.