TouchGrass AI: Less Scrolling, More Living 🌿

Utkarsh Yadav — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 15:12:25 +0000

This is a submission for the Hacktoberfest Open-Source AI Challenge Week 1: Touch Grass.

What I Built

I built TouchGrass AI, a local AI-powered nature mission planner that encourages people to spend less time scrolling and more time outdoors.

Users can choose their preferred outdoor activity, available time (15, 30, or 60 minutes), and difficulty level. The app generates a personalized nature mission using a locally running AI model.

The project includes a Flask backend, a simple web interface, input validation, and browser local storage for tracking self-reported progress.

Demo

Demo video: https://youtu.be/SX3HJ4AzR5Q
GitHub repository: https://github.com/utkarshydv27/TouchGrassAI
Original project article: https://dev.to/ut_yadav_18820e71996/-touchgrass-ai-less-scrolling-more-living-2dpi

Code

The complete source code is available on GitHub:

https://github.com/utkarshydv27/TouchGrassAI

The repository contains the Flask application, frontend files, and automated tests.

How I Built It

I used Python, Flask, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Ollama with the Qwen 2.5 1.5B model.

The Flask backend validates user preferences and sends requests to the locally running Ollama service. The frontend displays the generated nature mission and uses browser local storage to track self-reported progress.

I added automated tests covering the home page, invalid inputs, successful mission generation, and Ollama service failures. All 6 tests passed.

Why Does Open Innovation Matter?

Open innovation makes AI development more accessible. By using open-source tools and a locally runnable model, I could build and test an AI-powered application without relying on a paid hosted AI API.

Others can inspect the code, run the project locally, learn from the implementation, and contribute improvements. TouchGrass AI explores how AI can encourage healthier offline habits instead of simply increasing screen time.

Thanks for checking out TouchGrass AI! 🌿

# TouchGrass AI: Less Scrolling, More Living 🌿

Utkarsh Yadav — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:37:08 +0000

TouchGrass AI: Less Scrolling, More Living 🌿

What if AI helped us spend less time on screens instead of more?

That question inspired me to build TouchGrass AI, a local-AI-powered web app that generates personalized outdoor missions.

What I Built

TouchGrass AI helps people choose an outdoor activity based on their available time, interests, and experience level.

Users can generate missions for 15, 30, or 60 minutes, with activities such as walking, nature exploration, birdwatching, and gardening.

The goal is simple: get an idea, head outdoors, and spend less time scrolling.

Demo

🎥 Watch the demo: https://youtu.be/SX3HJ4AzR5Q

💻 Source code: https://github.com/utkarshydv27/TouchGrassAI

The app currently runs locally on my computer.

How I Built It

I built the application using Python, Flask, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ollama, and the Qwen 2.5 1.5B model.

Ollama runs the AI model locally, while Flask handles mission requests and input validation. The frontend lets users generate missions and track their progress in browser local storage.

I also added automated tests for the homepage, invalid inputs, successful mission generation using a mocked Ollama response, and Ollama-unavailable error handling.

All six automated tests passed.

Why Does Open Innovation Matter?

Open innovation makes this project easier to experiment with and adapt.

Privacy: Mission-generation prompts are sent to a locally running Ollama service rather than a hosted AI API.
Cost: There is no need for a paid hosted AI API for mission generation after installing the model and dependencies.
Flexibility: Developers can experiment with compatible local models.
Offline potential: Once everything is installed, mission generation can work without internet access while the local model service is available.

The application code is licensed under MIT. The AI model has its own license and terms.

What's Next?

I'd like to improve the outdoor recommendations and explore ways to make the experience more useful in different environments.

My favourite part of this idea is that the app's success should not depend on keeping someone online. It should help them choose an activity and then put their phone away.

Thanks for checking out my project!

devchallenge #hf26challenge #opensource #ai

DEV Community: Utkarsh Yadav

TouchGrass AI: Less Scrolling, More Living 🌿

What I Built

Demo

Code

How I Built It

Why Does Open Innovation Matter?

# TouchGrass AI: Less Scrolling, More Living 🌿

TouchGrass AI: Less Scrolling, More Living 🌿

What I Built

Demo

How I Built It

Why Does Open Innovation Matter?

What's Next?

devchallenge #hf26challenge #opensource #ai