Company
Date Published
Author
Natalie Fletcher
Word count
1001
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Terrabeasts is a mobile game developed by a team of passionate engineers and designers who met at the NASA Space Hacks Hackathon in 2017, utilizing Clarifai's image recognition technology to encourage ecological eating habits through gamification. The game features digital alien pets that evolve based on the carbon footprint of the food players photograph and "feed" them, teaching users about the environmental impact of their eating choices, such as the higher carbon footprint of steak compared to chicken or fish. The team, comprising software engineers Alex Zaman, Skanda Mohan, Tim Shin, strategist Gloria Chow, and designer Michelle Ng, created Terrabeasts to address global warming concerns by engaging players in a fun and educational way, inspired by virtual pets like Tamagotchis. The Clarifai Predict API was crucial in the app's development, enabling seamless food recognition and reducing the need for manual logging, making the game more enjoyable. The team envisions expanding Terrabeasts to integrate with social media and potentially develop a wearable app that promotes healthy habits beneficial for both users and the planet.