## Inspiration

Online shopping is hard because you can't try on clothing for yourself. We want to make a fun and immersive online shopping experience through VR that will one day hopefully become more realistic and suitable for everyday online shopping. We hope to make a fun twist that helps improve decisiveness while browsing online products.

## What it does

This VR experience includes movement, grabbable clothes, dynamic real-time texturing of models using images from Shopify’s Web API, and a realistic mirror of yourself to truly see how these fits shall look on you before buying it! The user that enters the virtual clothing store may choose between a black/yellow shirt, and black/tropical pants which are products from an online Shopify store (see screenshots). The user can also press a button that would simulate a purchase :)

## How we built it

Using the Shopify ProductListing API, we accessed the different clothing items from our sample online store with a C# script. We parsed the JSON that was fetched containing the product information to give us the image, price, and name of the products. We used this script to send this information to our VR game. Using the images of the products, we generated a texture for each item in virtual reality in the Unity game engine, which was then put onto interactable items in the game. Also, we designed some models, such as signs with text, to customize and accessorize the virtual store. We simulated the shopping experience in a store as well as interactable objects that can be tried on.

## Challenges we ran into

Linking a general C# script which makes REST API calls to Unity was a blocker for us because of the structure of code Unity works with. We needed to do some digging and search for what adjustments needed to be made to a generic program to make it suitable for the VR application. For example, including libraries such as Newtonsoft.

We also ran into conflicts when merging different branches of our project on GitHub. We needed to spend additional time rolling back changes and fixing bugs to take the next step in the project.

One significant difficulty was modelling the motion of the virtual arms and elbows when visible in the mirror. This must be done with inverse kinematics which we were never quite able to smoothly implement, although we achieved something somewhat close.

Getting the collision boundaries was difficult as well. The player and their surroundings constantly change in VR, and it was a challenge to set the boundaries of item interaction for the player when putting on items.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

Our project has set a strong foundation for future enhancements. We’re proud of the groundwork we’ve laid for a concept that can grow and evolve, potentially becoming a game-changing solution in VR shopping.

## What we learned

We learned the importance of anticipating potential technical blockers, such as handling complex features like inverse kinematics and collision limits. Properly allocating time for troubleshooting unexpected challenges would have helped us manage our time more efficiently.

Also, many technical challenges required a trial-and-error approach, especially when setting up collision boundaries and working with avatar motion. This taught us that sometimes it's better to start with a rough solution and iteratively refine it, rather than trying to perfect everything on the first go.

Finally, working as a team, we realized the value of maintaining clear communication, especially when multiple people are contributing to the same project. Whether it was assigning tasks or resolving GitHub conflicts, being aligned on priorities and maintaining good communication channels kept us moving forward.

## What's next for Shop The North

We want to add even more variety for future users. We hope to develop more types of clothing, such as shoes and hats, as well as character models that could suit any body type for an inclusive experience. Additionally, we would like to implement a full transaction system, where the user can add all the products they are interested into a cart and complete a full order (payment information, shipping details, and actually placing a real order). In general, the goal would be to have everything a mobile/web online shopping app has, and more fun features on top of it.
## Inspiration

Online shopping has been the norm for a while, but the COVID-19 pandemic has impelled even more businesses and customers alike to shift to the digital space. Unfortunately, it also accentuated the frustrations associated with online shopping. People often purchase items online, only to find out what they receive is not exactly what they want. AR is the perfect technology to bridge the gap between the digital and physical spaces; we wanted to apply that to tackle issues within online shopping to strengthen interconnection within e-commerce!

## What it does

scannAR allows its users to scan QR codes of e-commerce URLs, placing those items in front of where the user is standing. Users may also scan physical items to have them show up in AR. In either case, users may drag and drop anything that can be scanned or uploaded to the real world.

Now imagine the possibilities. Have technicians test if a component can fit into a small space, or small businesses send their products to people across the planet virtually, or teachers show off a cool concept with a QR code and the students' phones. Lastly, yes, you can finally play Minecraft or build yourself a fake house cause I know house searching in Kingston is hard.

## How we built it

We built the scannAR app using Unity with the Lean Touch and Big Furniture Pack assets. We used HTML, CSS, Javascript to create the business website for marketing purposes.

## Challenges we ran into

This project was our first time working with Unity and AR technology, so we spent many hours figuring their processes out. A particular challenge we encountered was manipulating objects on our screens the way we wanted to. With the time constraint, the scope of UI/UX design was limited, making some digital objects look less clean.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

Through several hours of video tutorials and some difficulty, we managed to build a functioning AR application through Unity, while designing a clean website to market it. We felt even prouder about making a wide stride towards tackling e-commerce issues that many of our friends often rant about.

## What we learned

In terms of technical skills, we learned how to utilize AR technology, specifically Unity. Initially, we had trouble moving objects on Unity; after completing this project, we have new Unity skills we can apply throughout our next hackathons and projects. We learned to use our existing front-end web development skills to augment our function with form.

## What's next for scannAR

In the near future, we aim to flesh out the premium subscription features to better cater to specific professions. We also plan on cleaning up the interface to launch scannAR on the app stores. After its release, it will be a constant cycle of marketing, partnerships with local businesses, and re-evaluating processes.
## Inspiration

We see technology progressing rapidly in cool fields like virtual reality, social media and artificial intelligence but often neglect those who really need tech to make a difference in their lives.

SignFree aims to bridge the gap between the impaired and the general public by making it easier for everyone to communicate.

## What it does

SignFree is a smart glove that is able to detect movements and gestures to translate sign language into speech or text.

## How we built it

SignFree was built using a glove with embedded sensors to track finger patterns. The project relies on an Arduino board with a small logic circuit to detect which fingers are activated for each sign. This information is relayed over to a database and is collected by a script that converts this information into human speech.

## Challenges we ran into

Coming up with the logic behind sensing different finger patterns was difficult and took some planning
The speech API used on the web server was tricky to implement as well

## Accomplishments that we are proud of

We feel our hack has real world potential and this is something we aimed to accomplish at this hackathon.

## What we learned

Basic phrases in sign language. We used a bunch of new API's to get things working.

## What's next for SignFree

More hackathons. More hardware. More fun