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Watt-Wizards is your go-to platform for sustainable living made fun and rewarding. This innovative app hooks into your smart home or breaker panel to track your energy and water usage in real-time. But that's not all! Challenge your friends in friendly competitions to see who can be the most resource-efficient. Earn points, unlock rewards, and level up your eco-conscious lifestyle, all while reducing your carbon footprint. Watt-Wizards turns everyday sustainability into an engaging game, making it easier than ever to save the planet—and your wallet."

What it does

Watt Wizard promotes energy conservation by making it a competitive yet friendly challenge. Users can pit their energy-saving skills against friends and family, vying for the top spot in energy efficiency. By gamifying the process, it taps into the same motivational drive that has made group fitness 25% more effective than individual workouts. Just as people push themselves harder in a group exercise setting, they're also more likely to take energy-saving actions when they know they're in a friendly competition.

How I built it

Watt Wizard comprises three main components:

1. Website: This serves as the primary informational and promotional platform where users can learn about the app, its benefits, and how to get started.
2. Mobile App: The heart of the experience, the mobile app allows users to track their energy savings, compete with others, and view their rankings. It's designed with user-friendliness in mind, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their tech-savviness, can participate.
3. Arduino Firmware: This emulates a smart home device, capturing real-time data on energy consumption. It then communicates this data to the mobile app, allowing users to track their usage in real time.

Challenges I ran into

• Integration across platforms: Ensuring seamless communication between the Arduino device, mobile app, and website was challenging, especially when it came to real-time data transfer.
• User Experience Design: Designing an interface that was both engaging and user-friendly required multiple iterations and feedback sessions.
• Data Accuracy: Ensuring the Arduino device accurately captured and transmitted energy consumption data was crucial for the app's credibility and effectiveness.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

• Real-time Tracking: Achieving real-time energy consumption tracking, which provides users with immediate feedback on their energy-saving actions.
• Gamification: Successfully translating the concept of energy saving into a competitive and fun game, making conservation more appealing to a broader audience.
• Cross-platform Integration: Seamlessly integrating data across the website, app, and Arduino device.

What I learned

• The importance of user feedback in refining the app experience.
• The technical intricacies of integrating hardware (Arduino) with software platforms.
• The power of gamification in driving behavior change.

What's next for Watt Wizard

• Integration with more Smart Devices: Expanding compatibility to include other smart home devices, allowing users to track a broader range of energy consumption.
• Rewards System: Introducing tangible rewards for top savers, such as discounts on energy bills or eco-friendly products.
• Community Features: Adding features like forums or chat rooms where users can share energy-saving tips and strategies with one another.