The Tree Hunt project, developed during the Hacktoberfest challenge, introduces an innovative approach to outdoor activity. This mobile web application turns a standard city walk into an engaging scavenger hunt for local trees and plants. The core concept is to encourage users to spend more time outdoors, observing the nature around them rather than focusing on their smartphone screens.
Users receive a hunt card containing a list of eight plants common to their specific region. Each entry includes a brief clue to help identify the object in the real world. Once a user finds a plant, they take a photo through the app's interface. This is where artificial intelligence comes into play, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the game experience.
At the heart of the system is the open-weight AI model Gemma, which analyzes the captured photos. It verifies whether the image truly shows the target plant by evaluating its key features and distinctive traits. If the model confirms the find, the user receives a virtual stamp, and their achievement is pinned to a community map, fostering a social aspect to the game.
Beyond the gaming elements, the app offers educational value. After a successful verification, the user receives a fun fact about the identified plant. A daily streak system is also implemented to motivate players to go for regular walks. If the AI is unsure about the result, it provides helpful hints, explaining which details to look for to improve identification accuracy.
The technical implementation of the project is based on a stack including Next.js, TypeScript, and MongoDB. The developers focused on interface speed, ensuring that the interaction process takes minimal time. Using the open-weight Gemma model allows the project to avoid dependency on closed commercial APIs, aligning with the spirit of open-source software and the hackathon.
The project supports the localization of plant names, making it accessible to diverse language communities. For instance, in Coimbatore, plant names are displayed in Tamil, which helps integrate the app better into the local context. Tree Hunt demonstrates that technology can be effectively used for environmental education and promoting a healthy lifestyle without distracting people from the real world.
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