LeaseEase

Helps users find and compare lease/finance deals easily!

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Video link: https://www.loom.com/share/21b6833fb7434fc4bad237808c3ed062

Inspiration

Buying or leasing a car can be confusing and overwhelming, especially when trying to understand monthly payments, financing options, and what model fits your lifestyle and budget. We wanted to create a natural, conversational experience that mimics talking to a dealership assistant, but available anytime, anywhere. LeaseEase was inspired by the idea of simplifying car shopping through AI and voice technology, making financial decisions more transparent and approachable.

What it does

LeaseEase is a voice-based car assistant that helps users:

Discuss preferences (e.g., budget, mileage, features).

Calculate monthly lease or financing payments based on user input.

Suggest Toyota models that match those preferences.

Provide spoken responses so users can interact hands-free, like a real conversation.

Essentially, it acts as your personal Toyota dealer chatbot, guiding you through options and payment breakdowns.

How we built it

Frontend: Built with React to create a smooth, intuitive chat interface with microphone and voice playback controls.

Voice Processing: Integrated ElevenLabs API to generate realistic spoken responses from text, allowing the chatbot to “talk back.”

AI Engine: Used OpenAI’s GPT model to handle conversational understanding — interpreting user intent, financial questions, and car preferences.

Database: Stored user interactions and preference data in MongoDB, so we can recall user sessions and personalize recommendations.

API Flow:

Frontend captures voice via microphone → converts to text

Sends text to OpenAI → returns a structured response

ElevenLabs converts the AI’s text reply to speech

MongoDB logs the session data and context

Challenges we ran into

Handling real-time voice input and output without lag or interruptions.

Fine-tuning the AI’s responses to stay focused on car-related and financial guidance.

Integrating multiple APIs (OpenAI, ElevenLabs, MongoDB) smoothly within limited time.

Managing state synchronization between user conversations and backend data.

Dealing with API rate limits and ensuring consistent audio playback.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Created a fully functional prototype that users can speak to and hear back from.

Successfully combined voice recognition, AI reasoning, and finance calculations into one seamless experience.

Designed a clean, accessible front end that feels natural to interact with.

Demonstrated how AI voice assistants can make dealership interactions easier and more engaging.

What we learned

How to integrate multimodal AI tools (voice + text + logic).

The importance of designing clear conversation flows to prevent confusion or loops.

How to manage API orchestration between multiple services.

Learned practical insights into user experience design for conversational systems.

What's next for LeaseEase

Add real Toyota inventory data and price feeds to give live model recommendations.

Implement credit score–based financing estimates for more personalized results.

Enable mobile compatibility and in-car use with voice-only mode.

Add multilingual support for global Toyota markets.

Train the AI to handle dealership appointment scheduling and follow-up quotes.

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