LingoBell

What it does

LingoBell is a web platform designed for global language exchange through real-time 1:1 video calls. We leverage the Gemini 1.5 Pro API to enhance user interactions by recommending conversation topics based on language preferences, learning goals, and interests. This helps users overcome the initial awkwardness and engage in meaningful conversations. The API also powers our dynamic quiz generation, creating personalized quizzes that let users assess their language skills in a fun, interactive way.

Our platform includes real-time speech-to-text (STT) with translation, converting spoken language into text and translating it into the user’s preferred language, implemented via WebSockets and WebRTC for seamless communication. We also feature a Face Swap function to make exchanges more engaging and entertaining.

We use Firebase Cloud Messaging for chat notifications and Firebase Realtime Database to track user activity, improving matchmaking by showing who is online. Profile images are stored with Google Cloud Storage. Initially, we used a GPU server for our STT model, but we are exploring more cost-effective solutions. Authentication is handled securely through Firebase Authentication with Google login.

LingoBell’s frontend is built with React, while the backend uses Python’s FastAPI. We are committed to continuously improving our platform, making language learning accessible, engaging, and effective. Our goal is to create the best possible language exchange experience.