# Ben Zhou > Third-year Computer Science and Finance/Economics student at the University of Toronto. Builds software, mostly at hackathons, and takes photographs. The personal site of Ruoyu (Ben) Zhou, https://thebenzhou.com. Its pages draw his work with JavaScript, so these Markdown files carry the same facts as plain text, written from the same data as the pages. Prize names are as Devpost and each event list them. ## At a glance - **Hackathons.** 14 wins, 2 organized and 15+ attended. Most recently he built GurtOS alone in one weekend at Cal Hacks 13.0, one of 652 projects, and won three prizes with it. A month earlier, Pixie, also built alone, won two tracks at Hack the North 2026 out of 349 projects. - **Ships real products.** He built and runs [uoftime.com](https://uoftime.com/) alone: a timetable builder for 8,000+ courses on all three UofT campuses. [Keypace](https://benz16107.github.io/keypace-site/), his native Mac typing test, is on the Mac App Store at version 1.1, with its typing engine covered by 98 unit tests. - **Builds for AI agents.** GurtOS runs each AI agent task as its own Linux user, in its own copy of the files, with keys in a vault and a spending limit. UofTime and tradex are MCP servers, so Claude and ChatGPT can use them directly. Pixie lets agents investigate while code computes every number. - **Research.** Fine-tuned OpenAI Whisper for lecture speech with UofT Trustworthy Machine Intelligence, producing real-time captions and corrected transcripts. - **Leadership.** Software Engineer at a stealth startup since May 2026. Director of Technology at CUSEC, Research and Development Manager at the Rotman Commerce FinTech Association, Sponsorship Coordinator at Hack the Valley, and Marketing Manager at RCVC, whose site [rcventure.ca](https://rcventure.ca/) he designed and built (Lighthouse accessibility 100 on every page). - **Academics.** Computer Science and Finance/Economics at the University of Toronto, St. George, with a 3.8/4.0 cumulative GPA. Graduates June 2028. - **Beyond code.** Photographs cities, water and cars on a Sony. Speaks English and Mandarin natively. Co-raised over $20,000 CAD for homeless support in Vancouver. ## Contact - Email: benz.zhou@mail.utoronto.ca - Personal: me@thebenzhou.com - Phone: 778-680-9189 - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-ben-zhou-/ - GitHub: https://github.com/benz16107 - Devpost: https://devpost.com/benz16107 - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_ben_zhou_/ ## Education University of Toronto, St. George B.Sc. Computer Science and Finance/Economics, expected June 2028 ## Experience - Software Engineer, Stealth (May 2026 to present, Toronto). Launching soon. - Sponsorship Coordinator, Hack the Valley (Mar 2026 to present, Toronto). - Director of Technology, CUSEC (Canadian University Software Engineering Conference) (Mar 2026 to present). - Research and Development Manager, Rotman Commerce FinTech Association (Mar 2026 to present, Toronto). - Marketing Manager, Rotman Commerce Venture Capital Group (Mar 2026 to present, Toronto). Designed and built [rcventure.ca](https://rcventure.ca/). ## Research Context-Based Captioning System, UofT Trustworthy Machine Intelligence (Sept 2025 to Apr 2026). Fine-tuned Whisper for lecture speech recognition, producing real-time captions and corrected transcripts. ## Hackathons 14 wins, 2 organized, 15+ attended ## Photography Shoots Sony: cities, water, cars, and the people in them. Took Photography 11 and 12 in high school, and made a short film (2023) and a music video (2024). [See the photographs](https://thebenzhou.com/#view=photos). ## Languages English and Mandarin Chinese (native), French (limited) ## Tools Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, Swift, Dart, Java, C++, SQL, Next.js, React, Node.js, Django, FastAPI, Flutter, Tailwind, PyTorch, Hugging Face, OpenCV, Git, GitHub, Docker, Postgres, Solana, Unity, Arduino, NVIDIA Jetson, ROS, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, Figma, Adobe Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro ## Hackathon prizes The prizes with a public write-up, newest first. - GurtOS (Cal Hacks 13.0, October 2026): Atlassian prize; Fetch.ai special recognition prize; MLH Best Use of Solana. Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/gurtos - Pixie (Hack the North 2026, September 2026): Intact track, The Quoting Interface of the Future; Federato track, Building the Federato Insurance Agent. Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/pixie-8vlj7g - tradex (cuHacking7, July 2026): MLH Best Use of Solana. Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/tradex-0efat7 - OOPS (McGill AeroHacks, March 2026): Best Use of MongoDB Atlas. Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/skygrid - Eco-Pulse (GenAI Genesis, March 2026): Top 2 teams, online. Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/eco-pulse-fpbo15 - Packwise (Hack Days in the 6ix, March 2026): Runner up. Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/packwise-jmgtqi - BlindSpot (Mac-a-thon, February 2026): MLH Best Use of ElevenLabs; Best Use of Backboard.io (GitCloud). Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/blindspot-zs7dwq ## Photographs 165 photographs at https://thebenzhou.com/#view=photos, in 5 sets: Japan, July 2024 (21); June 2024 selects (28); Photography 12, 2023 (38); Photography 11, 2022 (77); April 2026 (1). ## Projects 23 projects, newest first. ### GurtOS > An operating system where AI agents work on real files, the web and money without holding your keys. - Status: Shipped, built October 23, 2026 to October 25, 2026 - Kind: AI agents, Tools - Event: Cal Hacks 13.0 - Prizes: Atlassian prize; Fetch.ai special recognition prize; MLH Best Use of Solana - Stack: TypeScript, Linux, GTK 4, Swift - Live: https://gurtos.com - Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/gurtos - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/gurtos - Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rREjU2ddIyo - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/gurtos - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/gurtos-approval.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/gurtos-undo.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/gurtos-personal.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/gurtos-business.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/gurtos-phone.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/gurtos-docs.jpg Built solo at Cal Hacks 13.0; won an Atlassian prize, a Fetch.ai special recognition prize and MLH's Best Use of Solana. An operating system for AI agents, built on Ubuntu 24.04. Each agent task runs as its own Linux user without sudo, in its own copy of the files, so undo removes one task's changes and keeps every other task's. Keys stay in a vault only root can read, a task reaches only the web hosts it lists, and spending over its budget waits for your OK on the box's screen or your phone. Every step, approval and cost goes into one append-only log. It comes as Server, for an always-on box, and Personal, a GNOME desktop where agents work on copies of your folders until you choose Keep. Both install from their own ISO, and the code is open source under Apache-2.0. ### UofTime > A UofT timetable builder: pick sections on a week grid, see the walk between classes, subscribe from your calendar. - Status: Live, started September 30, 2026, still going - Kind: Tools, Web - Stack: React, TypeScript, MapLibre, MCP - Live: https://uoftime.com - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/uoftime - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/uoftime-week.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/uoftime-hover.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/uoftime-map.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/uoftime-daymaps.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/uoftime-ai.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/uoftime-generate.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/uoftime-first-visit.jpg A timetable builder for UofT, covering St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough. Search a course, hover a class to see its other sections, compare plans in tabs, and see each day's walk between buildings on a map. The timetable lives in the link, so there is no account, and any calendar app can subscribe to it. It is also an MCP server, so Claude or ChatGPT can build a timetable in conversation. Live at uoftime.com since October 1, 2026. Since October 6, 2026 it also lists the conflict-free timetables for the chosen courses, ordered by fewest gaps, latest start, earliest finish or fewest days on campus. Since October 7, 2026 a first visit opens on a sample week with a six-step tour, a timetable can be built with the keyboard alone, and its checks also run in Safari's engine. The same day it gained privacy and terms pages and an llms.txt file that tells AI agents how to reach the MCP server. ### Pixie > An insurance risk engine where agents investigate and code computes every number. - Status: Live, built September 18, 2026 to September 20, 2026 - Kind: AI agents, Mobile - Event: Hack the North 2026 - Prizes: Intact track, The Quoting Interface of the Future; Federato track, Building the Federato Insurance Agent - Stack: Next.js, FastAPI, Expo, Elastic - Live: https://pixie-underwriting.vercel.app - Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/pixie-8vlj7g - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/pixie-htn2026 - Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O47V32zbv20 - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/pixie - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_063.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_064.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_065.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_066.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_067.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_068.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_069.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_070.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_071.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_072.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_073.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_074.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_075.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_076.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_077.jpg Built solo at Hack the North 2026; won the Intact and Federato tracks. One risk engine runs two products: a commercial underwriting desk and a consumer insurance phone app. Agents decide what to look up and write the explanation; code computes every score, price and total, and a sentence with a number the tools did not return is blocked. ### Blad > An iPad note-taking app for lectures where notes stay ordinary files in a folder you pick. - Status: Building, started September 17, 2026, still going - Kind: Apple apps - Stack: SwiftUI, PencilKit - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/blad - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_054.png An iPad app for lecture notes. Your notes stay ordinary files in a folder you choose (his are his course folders, Year 1 to Year 3). PDF import, pen, highlighter, lasso and audio recording. Version 1 is built and runs on his iPad Pro, with shape snapping, text boxes, search across notes and a read mode. ### rcventure.ca > The website for RCVC, the UofT venture capital club he markets. - Status: Live, started September 8, 2026, still going - Kind: Web - Event: RCVC, UofT - Stack: Next.js, Tailwind, Motion - Live: https://rcventure.ca - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/rcventure - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_055.png, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/rcvc.jpg Website for Rotman Commerce Venture Capital, where he is Marketing Manager. Intro video, a team page with a toggle for each year, upcoming and past events, the research projects the club runs with venture firms, and its Instagram feed. Live since September 10, 2026. An accessibility pass in October 2026 brought every page to a Lighthouse accessibility score of 100. Since October 5, 2026 new Instagram posts reach the feed twice a day and an event moves to Past events on its own once it ends. Since October 7, 2026 each page sends its own link preview. ### tradex > A marketplace where AI agents pay each other per call in USDC on Solana. - Status: Live, built July 12, 2026 - Kind: Payments, AI agents - Event: cuHacking7 - Prizes: MLH Best Use of Solana - Stack: Next.js, Solana, x402 - Live: https://tradex-six-dun.vercel.app - Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/tradex-0efat7 - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/tradex - Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IPDXzimw0c - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/tradex - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_056.png, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_003.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_004.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_005.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_006.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_007.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_008.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_009.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_010.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_011.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_012.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_013.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_014.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_015.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_016.jpg Open marketplace for the agent economy. Agents pay each other per call in USDC on Solana, settled over x402. No accounts, no API keys; reputation is earned on chain. It runs on Solana devnet. It is also an MCP server, so an agent such as Claude can search the marketplace and buy from it. ### MarketMaker > A desktop paper-trading app for US stocks. - Status: Shipped, built July 9, 2026 to August 9, 2026 - Kind: Tools - Event: CSC207 course project - Stack: Java, Swing - Code: https://github.com/RyanRavas1/CSC207-MarketMaker - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/marketmaker - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_048.png Desktop paper-trading app for US markets built for CSC207. Search a stock, watch it, place orders, and learn what a stop-loss does. ### canvas-companion > Mirrors his UofT Quercus courses to disk, twice a day. - Status: Shipped, built July 5, 2026 to July 6, 2026 - Kind: Tools - Stack: Python - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/canvas-companion Mirrors his UofT Quercus (Canvas) courses to disk: modules, files, pages and lecture videos. It now runs twice a day for him. Private repo. ### Keypace > A native Mac typing-speed test, on the Mac App Store. - Status: Live, started June 4, 2026, still going - Kind: Apple apps - Stack: Swift, SwiftUI - Live: https://benz16107.github.io/keypace-site/ - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/keypace - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/tappet.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/keypace-quick-test.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/keypace-results.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/keypace-pro.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/keypace-heatmap.jpg A clean typing-speed test built for macOS. Practise with words, quotes, code or your own text; track WPM, accuracy and a daily streak. No account and no tracking. Codename Tappet. Version 1.1 on the Mac App Store adds a menu-bar quick test that opens with Control-Option-K from any app, and an optional one-time Pro unlock with a per-key heatmap and practice drills built from your weakest keys. Version 1.1, on the store since October 2, 2026, also has a command palette on Command-K, a pace caret that races your personal best, and a graph of each test second by second. ### Cracked City > Road-damage triage for Toronto: what to fix first, and what it costs. - Status: Shipped, built May 30, 2026 to June 2, 2026 - Kind: Cities, AI agents - Event: NVIDIA hackathon - Stack: NVFP4, Qwen, Playwright - Demo: https://huggingface.co/spaces/crackedcity/app - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/311-request - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/cracked-city - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_047.png Built at an NVIDIA hackathon. His part: the NVFP4-quantized Qwen3.6 27B checkpoint and a Playwright script that pre-fills a 311 pothole report and never submits it. ### AI Dance Generator > Upload a song, get a stick-figure dance synced to it, exported for TikTok. - Status: Shipped, built May 27, 2026 - Kind: Media - Stack: FastAPI, Claude - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/move - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/dance - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_062.png, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/work/dance-logo.jpg Upload a song; the audio is analysed, choreography is generated, and a stick figure dances in sync. Exports a TikTok-ready video. The project is called move. ### ConfidensAI > A pay-per-use AI agent on GOAT Network mainnet. - Status: Shipped, built May 26, 2026 - Kind: Payments, AI agents - Stack: Node, ethers, x402 - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/confidensAI - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/confidensai - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_052.png Pay-per-use AI agent on GOAT Network mainnet, with ERC-8004 identity and x402 payments. ### Tidal Wordle > Competitive beach Wordle with a 3D wave scene driven by real tide data. - Status: Shipped, built May 24, 2026 - Kind: Media - Stack: react-three-fiber - Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/tidal-wordle - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/motto-motto - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/tidal-wordle - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_057.png, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_017.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_018.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_019.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_020.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_021.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_022.jpg Beach-themed competitive Wordle. The react-three-fiber wave scene follows real NOAA tide data; 20 attack, buff and wildcard cards; best of 3. ### Artifex > Product idea to spec, brand research, concept images, then real 3D meshes. - Status: Shipped, built May 9, 2026 to May 10, 2026 - Kind: AI agents - Stack: Next.js, Django, Unity - Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/artifex-croagt - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/Artifex - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/artifex - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_058.png, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_023.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_024.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_025.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_026.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_027.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_028.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_029.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_030.jpg A product idea becomes a structured spec, then brand research, reviewable concept images and image-to-3D meshes, viewable on a Quest. ### OOPS > Tactical route-risk guidance built from flight telemetry and map intelligence. - Status: Shipped, built March 14, 2026 to March 15, 2026 - Kind: Vision - Event: McGill AeroHacks - Prizes: Best Use of MongoDB Atlas - Stack: Python, CV - Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/skygrid - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/aero-hacks-poc - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/aero - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_061.png, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_001.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_002.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_031.jpg OOPS combines flight telemetry and map intelligence to flag hazardous zones, route exposure and conflict points for mission planning. It won Best Use of MongoDB Atlas. ### Eco-Pulse > Urban heat and tree-planting planner for Montreal. - Status: Shipped, built March 13, 2026 to March 15, 2026 - Kind: Cities - Event: GenAI Genesis - Prizes: Top 2 teams, online - Stack: ML, maps - Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/eco-pulse-fpbo15 - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/Eco-Pulse - Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyolutNMcnY - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/eco-pulse - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_060.png, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_032.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_033.jpg Urban heat mitigation planner for Montreal: priority zones on a map and AI intervention plans with cost estimates and planting sites. ### Packwise > AI packing companion for iOS and Android. - Status: Shipped, built March 7, 2026 to March 8, 2026 - Kind: Mobile - Event: Hack Days in the 6ix - Prizes: Runner up - Stack: Flutter, Gemini - Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/packwise-jmgtqi - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/Travel-helper - Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6inP6uDqnc - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/packwise - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_034.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_035.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_036.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_037.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_038.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_039.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_040.jpg AI travel packing companion: context-aware lists, airline rule checks, passport expiry warnings, lists organised by bag. ### Pentagon > Supply-chain risk platform built around explainable agent traces. - Status: Shipped, built March 4, 2026 to March 12, 2026 - Kind: AI agents - Stack: Next.js - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/htf - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/pentagon - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_051.png Multi-tenant supply-chain risk platform: onboarding, risk and assessment dashboards, and traceable agent reasoning. ### DataFrame > A node canvas where every node runs real Python in your browser. - Status: Live, built February 27, 2026 to March 6, 2026 - Kind: Tools - Event: DRHX, UTM - Stack: tldraw, Pyodide, FastAPI - Live: https://dataframe.space - Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/dataframe-y41tbl - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/dataFrame - Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0aKhFaRulY - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/dataframe - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_059.png, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_041.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_042.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_043.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/dataframe-graph.jpg Node-based canvas built at DRHX at UTM. Every node runs real Python in the browser through Pyodide, so code never leaves the tab. Updated in October 2026 to current React, tldraw and Pyodide, with fixes so a whole graph runs in order and each node prints its own output. ### Nova > An in-room hotel voice concierge. - Status: Shipped, built February 22, 2026 to February 28, 2026 - Kind: AI agents - Stack: OpenAI Realtime - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/Nova - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/nova - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_050.png, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/nova-dashboard.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/nova-requests.jpg In-room hotel voice concierge on the OpenAI Realtime API with NFC activation and private memory per guest, plus a staff dashboard. Updated in September 2026 to current React, Express and Prisma, with the voice concierge moved to the Realtime model OpenAI offers now. ### RouteWatch > Tracks how long a drive actually takes over weeks. - Status: Shipped, built February 10, 2026 to February 27, 2026 - Kind: Cities - Stack: Node, Google Maps - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/RouteWatch - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/routewatch - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_049.png Collects and charts route travel times over weeks through the Google Maps Directions API, for driving, walking or transit. ### BlindSpot > Walking navigation for blind and low-vision users. - Status: Shipped, built February 7, 2026 to February 12, 2026 - Kind: Mobile, Vision - Event: Mac-a-thon - Prizes: MLH Best Use of ElevenLabs; Best Use of Backboard.io (GitCloud) - Stack: Flutter, OpenCV - Demo: https://youtu.be/uZDJlYk-n68 - Devpost: https://devpost.com/software/blindspot-zs7dwq - Code: https://github.com/benz16107/BlindSpot - Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZDJlYk-n68 - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/blindspot - Screenshots: https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_044.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_045.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/.media/images/image_046.jpg, https://thebenzhou.com/assets/shots-sm/blindspot-2026.jpg Assistive walking navigation: live camera, GPS, a voice agent for turn-by-turn and "where am I?", and obstacle detection with haptics. Updated in September 2026 to build on current Flutter, with 78 tests for the walking-direction and obstacle logic. ### Context-Based Captioning System > Real-time lecture captions and corrected transcripts from a fine-tuned Whisper model. - Status: Shipped, built September 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026 - Kind: Research - Event: UofT Trustworthy Machine Intelligence - Stack: Python, PyTorch, Hugging Face, Whisper - Page: https://thebenzhou.com/project/captioning Research with UofT Trustworthy Machine Intelligence. He fine-tuned Whisper for lecture speech recognition; the system produces real-time captions and corrected transcripts.