McKenna Weinbaum, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Jewelry & Metalwork, 3rd year undergraduate
The Lost & Found Chatbot is an AI-driven solution designed to simplify and enhance the process of locating lost items on campus. With the high volume of items misplaced daily, traditional lost-and-found systems can be inefficient and frustrating. This chatbot aims to centralize and streamline lost item reporting, allowing students to quickly find belongings, reduce anxiety, and save time.
Utilizing natural language processing (NLP), the Lost & Found Chatbot interprets user-submitted
descriptions of lost items (e.g., “blue water bottle with stickers”) and matches them with a database of reported found items across campus. Integrated image recognition enables users to upload photos, which the AI analyzes to improve the matching process. Additionally, the bot suggests common lost-and-found locations where the item might be located based on historical data, such as libraries, dorms, and dining halls.
The chatbot is accessible on various platforms, including a mobile app, the UGA website, and SMS, ensuring 24/7 availability to all students. Privacy and security are prioritized; data handling is encrypted, and descriptions are anonymized. Temporary storage protocols automatically delete lost item descriptions after a set period, maintaining a secure and streamlined database.