HomeEnergy

Inspiration

The inspiration behind HomeEnergy came from a desire to address the global challenge of sustainable living and energy conservation. With the increasing focus on reducing carbon footprints and mitigating climate change, there is a growing need for individuals to understand and manage their energy consumption at home. We wanted to create a tool that not only raises awareness about energy usage but also provides practical solutions for reducing energy waste.

What it does

HomeEnergy is a mobile application that leverages the power of AI to help users manage their home energy consumption more effectively. The app allows users to take a photo of their household appliances, which are then analyzed using the YOLOv3 CoreML model to identify the appliances in the image. Once the appliances are identified, the app provides users with detailed information about each appliance, including its average energy consumption and tips on how to reduce energy usage. Users can also track their energy consumption over time and receive personalized recommendations for reducing their energy usage.

How we built it

We built HomeEnergy using a combination of Swift and SwiftUI for the frontend and CoreML for the AI model. The app's backend is powered by a serverless architecture using Firebase for data storage and authentication. We also used Xcode as our development environment and integrated various APIs for image processing and data analysis. To ensure the accuracy of our AI model, we trained it using a diverse dataset of household appliance images.

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges we faced was optimizing the performance of our AI model to ensure fast and accurate identification of appliances. We also had to overcome technical challenges related to data processing and integration with external APIs. Additionally, designing a user-friendly interface that effectively communicates energy consumption data to users was a significant challenge.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of successfully integrating the AI model into our app and achieving a high level of accuracy in identifying appliances. We are also proud of the user-friendly design of our app, which makes it easy for users to understand their energy consumption data and take action to reduce their energy usage. Additionally, we are proud of our commitment to sustainability and the positive impact that HomeEnergy can have on the environment.

What we learned

Through the development of HomeEnergy, we learned a great deal about AI, image processing, and mobile app development. We gained valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable living and energy conservation. We also learned about the importance of user feedback and iteration in the development process.

What's next for HomeEnergy

In the future, we plan to expand the functionality of HomeEnergy to include more advanced features, such as real-time energy monitoring and smart home integration. We also hope to partner with energy companies and environmental organizations to promote sustainable living practices and raise awareness about energy conservation. Overall, we are excited about the potential of HomeEnergy to make a positive impact on the environment and help users lead more sustainable lives.