Sip & Savor Study — AI Chatbot (Honors Thesis) Welcome to the official repository of the Sip & Savor Study Chatbot, a personalized, AI-powered virtual sommelier developed as part of Waley Lin's Honors Thesis at Arizona State University.

This project examines how conversational AI can improve access to beverage education by offering real-time, personalized recommendations and learning support for wine, beer, sake, and cocktails.

📄 For access to the full thesis PDF, please email: waleylin2003@gmail.com

🖼️ To see screenshots and more technical details, visit: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hQWEUKKoFdWamWGfCkGv9A1nPzDMFp99InErSUuFsuM/edit?usp=sharing

🤖 About the Chatbot The Sip & Savor chatbot functions as a virtual sommelier, designed to support users through:

🍷 Personalized drink recommendations

🍽️ Food and beverage pairing guidance

🧠 Educational insights on tasting notes, varietals, and regions

🗺️ Region-based learning through interactive maps (within the full app)

📊 Preference-based memory and adaptive response behavior

Built using:

React Native frontend

FastAPI backend (hosted on Render)

OpenAI GPT API for conversational intelligence

Firebase Realtime Database for user preference storage and personalization

This chatbot was tested with real users as part of a university-approved study (ASU IRB STUDY00021938) and was iteratively improved based on the feedback received.

🧪 Purpose & Research Goals This project aimed to answer:

Can AI be used to personalize beverage education in a meaningful way?

Will users feel comfortable and engaged with a chatbot tutor?

How does adaptive learning via conversation compare to static educational tools?