Created by: Aarnav Dahal, Aditya Dev Joshi, Nabin Chamalagai, Suraj Patel
About the Project :
Plato is an AI-assisted peer-to-peer meal-sharing platform designed to help university students access affordable, home-cooked meals while reducing food waste on campus. Many students living alone struggle to prepare balanced meals regularly because of limited time, budget constraints, or a lack of cooking experience. At the same time, other students often bring more food than they can finish, with leftovers frequently going to waste.
Plato addresses this gap by allowing students to securely share extra portions of their meals with fellow students through a mobile application. Meal providers can upload a meal listing with photos, descriptions, available portions, and pricing, while other students can browse, book, and split the cost of the meal. The platform also incorporates AI-assisted meal recommendations to suggest suitable meals based on users’ preferences and previous activity.
The application is being developed using React Native, Django REST Framework, and PostgreSQL, following a user-centred Design Thinking approach. By making home-cooked meals more accessible and encouraging food sharing, Plato aims to promote healthier eating habits, reduce
unnecessary food waste, and strengthen connections within the university community.
Key Features:
1. AI-assisted meal recommendations based on user preferences and booking history.
2. Create meal listings with photos, descriptions, available portions, and pricing.
3. Browse and search for nearby home-cooked meals.
4. Secure prepaid booking with automatic bill splitting.
5. User ratings and reviews to build trust within the community.
6. Cancellation policy to discourage last-minute cancellations.
7. Personal profiles displaying ratings, completed meals, and reliability.