DistraXcel: Hatch Your Future

The Project

DistraXcel is a cutting-edge AI-powered productivity app designed to combat the pervasive issue of digital distractions, which are especially problematic for people with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism. Employing the YOLOv7 object detection and classification model, the app intelligently observes users’ screens, blocking distracting content based on the selected categories and the personalized app and website blacklist. DistraXcel is also equipped with a Pomodoro timer, which is paired with a customizable whitelist, to promote efficient workflows. Moreover, DistraXcel features a gamified egg-hatching mechanism: an egg will hatch after a focus session has ended, with the hatched animal then residing in the park screen. In addition, the app provides a comprehensive stats page, which offers valuable insights to users, helping them understand their habits for further improvement. DistraXcel marks a significant step forward in providing considerable aid to students and workers alike, especially those with neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Team Comments

Some of my schoolmates who I tutor have ADHD and autism. They often struggle to focus due to digital distractions. Previous productivity programs like “Blocksite” were limited to hardcoding websites, inspiring me to create a more effective productivity app to help them maintain concentration.

Managing complex queries while maintaining security and performance was challenging. I used Firebase instead of local data storage, configuring it to enforce index and query validation, and ensuring queries adhered to predefined safety protocols. This improved the app's security and efficiency.

Expand the dataset to improve detection accuracy. Implement a currency system where users earn coins for focusing, which can be spent to temporarily unlock or disable blacklists and whitelists. Make the park scrollable to show more animals. Upgrade to the newer YOLOv9 model for better performance.