FoodForward

Households often waste significant amounts of food, while many individuals face hunger. The FoodForward Android application aims to connect near-expiry groceries with NGOs and non-profit organizations that support homeless and vulnerable populations.

FoodForward utilizes generative AI to streamline the process of reading grocery receipts, creating an inventory of food items without the complexity of OCR. Users can filter their inventory into three categories: fresh, near-expiry, and expired. They can select items to receive AI-generated recipes, which can be saved, printed, or reviewed.

Additionally, users can donate near-expiry items to NGOs and non-profits, effectively reducing food waste while addressing hunger and fostering a sustainable community.

The application leverages Google's Gemini API for inventory generation and recipe suggestions. The backend APIs are developed using Java Spring Boot, while the frontend is built with Flutter. The AI engine was developed using NVIDIA AI Workbench, with functionality accessed via Flask APIs through a Python Docker container. The backend is developed with Java Spring Boot, and the frontend utilizes Flutter.

Setup

Pull the PostgreSQL Docker Image

docker pull postgres:latest

Create a Docker Network

Create a custom Docker network to allow communication between the PostgreSQL container and your Spring Boot application container:

docker network create spring-postgres-network

Run the PostgreSQL Docker Container

docker run --name postgres-container --network=spring-postgres-network -e POSTGRES_DB=dev_tenant -e POSTGRES_USER=dev_user -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=ff20241017 -p 5432:5432 -d postgres:latest

At this point the container is running so we can execute a command in the docker to access the db.

Run the PostgreSQL Docker Container

docker run --name postgres-container --network=spring-postgres-network -e POSTGRES_DB=dev_tenant -e POSTGRES_USER=dev_user -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=ff20241017 -p 5432:5432 -d postgres:latest

Acess the database

At this point the container is running so we can execute a command in the docker to access the db.

docker exec -it postgres-container psql -U your_username -d your_database_name

Running the AI Engine

Move into the gen-ai folder

cd gen-ai

Build docker image

docker build -t food-forward-gen-ai-engine .

Run docker container

docker run -it --rm food-forward-gen-ai-engine

Running the BE Server locally

Use an IDE

Make use of an IDE preferrably IntelliJ to run the server

Run the Frontend

Move into the folder

cd frontend/food_forward_app/

Install the dependencies

flutter clean
flutter pub get

Launch the emulators

Replace with your existing emulator

flutter emulators --launch Pixel_8_Pro_API_33

Launch the app

flutter run

Demo Video