Inspiration
The inspiration for PlantSync came from the challenges of managing indoor plants when living with roommates. Oftentimes, plants either get overwatered or neglected because there’s no clear system in place to track care. We wanted to create a solution that fosters collaboration and makes it easier for plant owners to track the status of their plants, ensuring they get the right care at the right time.
What it does
PlantSync is a group-based reminder system for indoor plant care. Users can log in, check the watering status of their plants, and mark them as watered when done. The app sends reminders to all group members when plants need attention. Optional features allow users to track plant growth and share progress with others. It ensures that plants aren’t forgotten or overwatered, making it easy to maintain healthy plants in shared living spaces.
How we built it
We built PlantSync using MongoDB Atlas for managing user and plant data in the cloud, combined with Node.js and Express for backend development. The frontend is developed using Next.js and hosted on Vercel. MongoDB Atlas handles all the database interactions, ensuring seamless access to plant information and user activity. Vercel is used to deploy the application, allowing real-time interactions for users and groups.
Challenges we ran into
One of the key challenges we faced was integrating MongoDB Atlas with Vercel while ensuring the database connection remained secure. Another challenge was designing a clean and intuitive user experience that would make it easy for users to interact with their plant data and set reminders in an engaging way. Additionally, we faced time constraints during the hackathon, which made it difficult to implement all the planned features.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud of successfully setting up the cloud-based backend with MongoDB Atlas, allowing users to seamlessly manage their plant care data. Despite the time constraints, we managed to build a functioning reminder system that helps groups collaborate in taking care of plants. We’re also proud of the UI/UX design, which makes it easy for users to view and update their plants' watering status.
What we learned
Throughout the development process, we learned a lot about cloud databases, especially the use of MongoDB Atlas in combination with Vercel for deployment. We also learned the importance of focusing on core functionality in a hackathon environment to ensure that the app works smoothly before adding extra features.
What's next for PlantSync
In the future, we plan to enhance PlantSync by adding more advanced features, such as tracking the growth of plants with visual charts, allowing users to upload photos, and implementing smart reminders that take into account different plant species’ watering needs. We also aim to integrate with IoT devices to automate plant care, like watering sensors.
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