AI

Implementing Emotion Detection with OpenAI

April 25, 2025
Implementing Emotion Detection with OpenAI

VibeSync: A Mental Health Chatbot… and a Slice of Humility

VibeSync started with a simple idea: build a mental health chatbot that listens, responds gently, and gives people a space to feel heard. We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel—we just wanted to wrap powerful AI in a friendly, calming UI. So that’s exactly what we did.

The hackathon was hosted right here in Nagpur—just a few hours long, more like a sprint than a marathon. No fancy tech stack. No backend juggling. We used the Together AI API for the chatbot and focused purely on front-end branding. In truth, it was a white-label build—we designed the face and flow, but the heart of it was powered by an external AI model. We knew it wasn’t groundbreaking tech-wise, but the user experience was what we cared about.

Quick Execution, Clear Vision

We had around 7–8 hours in total. We divided the work fast, built a clean interface, connected the chatbot flow to the API, and wrapped it up with a soothing visual theme. It looked good, worked smoothly, and had a clear purpose—to help people feel mentally lighter, one message at a time.

The Judge Moment I’ll Never Forget

Now here’s the part I didn’t expect. During the evaluation round, one of the judges looked at our project, chuckled a bit… then laughed. Like, really laughed. Not just a polite smile—full-on teeth-out amusement. And it wasn’t even in front of the whole group—it was in private, just the two of us in the room. That moment is burned into my memory. I didn’t show it then, but it genuinely hurt.

We didn’t expect a standing ovation or anything. But to be laughed at for something we had worked hard on—even if it was a simpler build—felt disrespectful. There’s a difference between honest feedback and just... mockery. And that line got crossed that day.

What VibeSync Taught Me

  1. Not Every Project Has to Be Complex: Simplicity has its own value. We aimed for usability and clean design—and we nailed that.
  2. Criticism Isn’t Always Constructive: Some people will just laugh. That doesn’t make your work worthless. It just means you need to believe in it more than they doubt it.
  3. Confidence Can’t Be External: If you build only for applause, moments like these will crush you. Build because you believe the idea matters—even if it’s version 0.1.
  4. Hackathons Are Still Wins, Even Without Prizes: We showed up, we delivered, and we learned. That’s a win.

The Aftermath

We didn’t place. We didn’t get a certificate or a shoutout. But we walked out with a working product, a lesson in resilience, and a story we’ll never forget. And honestly? I’d still build VibeSync again. Because not every project is about impressing judges—sometimes it’s just about creating something that feels right.

And next time someone laughs? I’ll laugh back—then out-code them.