The problem Blood Compass solves

Blood Compass is a lifesaving solution that revolutionizes blood donation and access during emergencies and pandemics as we saw in COVID-19.

🩸 Finding Donors
In critical moments, finding the right blood donor can be a matter of life and death. Blood Compass streamlines this process with its one-click search feature. Users can instantly locate nearby donors of their specific required blood group, making it effortless to connect with potential lifesavers.

🏥 Locating Blood Banks
Our platform doesn't stop at connecting donors and receivers; it also displays nearby blood banks. This information is invaluable during urgent situations, helping users quickly identify the closest medical facilities for immediate blood transfusions.

🌐 Live Map Feed
Blood Compass harnesses the power of technology with a live map feed that displays real-time donor locations and blood bank information. This innovative approach not only saves time but also provides users with a visual representation of available resources in their area.

👥 Community of Heroes
Beyond functionality, Blood Compass fosters a sense of community among blood donors. It encourages more people to become blood donors and heroes by promoting their availability to help those in need.

🚀 Effortless and Accessible
With a user-friendly interface, Blood Compass is accessible to anyone, anywhere. It simplifies a previously complex and time-consuming process, making it easier for individuals and healthcare providers to secure blood when it matters most.

Blood Compass is more than an app; it's a lifeline connecting those in dire need with the generous souls willing to donate. It's the solution to a problem that affects millions worldwide, offering hope and help at the touch of a button.

Challenges we ran into

1. Navigating Open Source Map Solutions: Initially, we enthusiastically embraced the Geolocation API for our mapping feature. However, the path was not without hurdles as the costs associated with this solution during the hackathon raised concerns. To circumvent this challenge, we embarked on a quest to discover an open-source map alternative that harmonizes with our limited budget and project prerequisites.

2. **Smart Matching within BloodDonors And Receivers: ** As we delved into the backend development, we encountered pivotal challenges while implementing smart matching between compatible blood donors and recipients, alongside the functionality to discover nearby blood banks within a 5-kilometer radius. Here's how we overcame these challenges with innovation:

• Smart Matching Algorithm: Crafting an algorithm that intelligently matches compatible blood donors and recipients was no small feat. We needed to factor in diverse blood types, urgency levels, and location-based constraints. The innovation lay in designing an algorithm that not only matched based on blood type but also considered the urgency of the situation and proximity.

• Nearby Blood Banks: The challenge here was to seamlessly integrate geolocation data to allow users to locate nearby blood banks within a 5-kilometer radius. We creatively harnessed geospatial libraries to empower users with this crucial information.

3. Integrating Fastn: We leveraged Fastn, a powerful full-stack open-source framework, to build Blood Compass. However, we encountered challenges due to the framework's early stage and documentation issues. To overcome these obstacles, we actively engaged with the Fastn development team through Discord. Our commitment to problem-solving ensured the successful development of this critical, lifesaving platform.