ImaginAItion - AI Literacy Game

Real-time multiplayer AI literacy game built for CMU HCI

Project Overview

ImaginAItion is a cutting-edge real-time multiplayer game designed to enhance AI literacy through interactive gameplay. Built as part of a collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute, this project demonstrates advanced full-stack development with modern web technologies.

Key Achievements

  • Real-time Performance: Achieved <150ms latency for 50+ concurrent players using Socket.IO over WebSockets
  • Scalable Architecture: Deployed containerized services to Amazon ECS with Docker Compose orchestration
  • AI Integration: Seamlessly integrated GPT-4 Vision API for dynamic, real-time image generation
  • Modern Tech Stack: React with TypeScript frontend and FastAPI backend

Technical Implementation

Frontend Architecture

  • React + TypeScript: Type-safe, component-based architecture
  • Socket.IO Client: Real-time bidirectional communication
  • Responsive Design: Mobile-first approach with modern CSS

Backend Systems

  • FastAPI: High-performance async Python web framework
  • WebSocket Management: Custom game state synchronization
  • Stateful Game Loop: Turn-based progression with AI model integration

Deployment & DevOps

  • Docker Compose: Multi-service containerization for local development
  • Amazon ECS: Production-ready container orchestration
  • CI/CD Pipeline: Automated testing and deployment workflows

Impact & Results

This project showcases the intersection of educational technology and advanced web development, delivering a platform that makes AI concepts accessible through engaging, interactive gameplay. The system successfully handles high concurrent loads while maintaining sub-150ms response times, demonstrating expertise in both frontend user experience and backend scalability.