PantryPal
AI-powered iOS application that helps users manage home inventory and shopping lists through receipt scanning, conversational commands, and real-time cloud synchronization.
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problem
Managing household groceries and pantry inventory is a surprisingly inefficient process in many homes. People often buy items they already have, forget to purchase essentials, or allow food to expire because they lose track of what is stored in their kitchen. This leads to unnecessary spending and contributes significantly to household food waste. Traditional methods for tracking groceries usually involve handwritten lists, basic notes applications, or manual spreadsheet tracking. These solutions require continuous manual input and rarely integrate seamlessly with everyday shopping habits.
solution
PantryPal was developed as an intelligent iOS application that simplifies grocery management through automation, cloud synchronization, and conversational AI. The application combines computer vision, natural language interaction, and real-time database management to create a modern home inventory assistant. The core functionality of PantryPal revolves around two main modules: the home inventory and the shopping wishlist. Users can track all items currently stored in their pantry while maintaining a separate list of items they intend to purchase. Items can be easily transferred between the wishlist and the inventory once they are bought, reducing the need for repeated manual input.
The concept for PantryPal emerged from a common everyday frustration: managing groceries at home is far more chaotic than it should be. Many households struggle with keeping track of what items they already have, which items need to be purchased and when certain products might expire.
The development process began with the design of a clean and intuitive user interface using SwiftUI. The interface was structured around two primary lists: one representing the user’s home inventory and another representing the shopping wishlist. These lists form the core of the application’s workflow, allowing users to manage items through simple interactions.
However, the true innovation of PantryPal lies in its automation capabilities. Instead of requiring users to manually input every purchased item, the application introduces an AI-powered receipt scanner. By taking a photograph of a grocery bill, the system can automatically extract item names and quantities. This feature dramatically reduces the effort required to maintain an accurate pantry inventory.
Another major objective was to enable natural interaction with the application. Rather than forcing users to navigate menus and search for items manually, PantryPal integrates a conversational assistant powered by the Google Gemini API. This assistant allows users to ask questions or issue commands in natural language, making the system feel more intuitive and responsive.
year
May 2025
timeframe
16 days
tools
SwiftUI, Firebase, Gemini, MVVM
category
Personal Project
