Digitaal ArcheoPad: Wandelbos Philippine

[!TIP] Live Demo Available! Check out the live version of the project at https://philliphine-wandelbos.vercel.app/

The Background

This project originated from a unique collaboration between Elevantio, the Gemeente Terneuzen, Stichting Landschapsbeheer Zeeland, and Scalda. It was inspired by "De Wijsneuzen"; students from the Prins Willem van Oranjeschool who participated in the Zeeland regional final of the First Lego League.

Under the theme "UNEARTHED" (focusing on archaeology and discovery), their core question was: "How can the story of the past, made visible by archaeologists through excavations, be shared with the community?"

To answer this, the Gemeente Terneuzen acquired a former arable farming plot on the Philippineweg where a castle once stood. They transformed it into a "Wandelbos" (walking forest) featuring a historical walking route, aiming to make history visible and experiential for everyone.

The Problem

The municipality needed to enrich this physical walking route with an engaging digital experience. They envisioned 3 to 5 physical information boards ("informatieborden") along the trail. Visitors would scan QR codes on these boards to access stories, videos, and quizzes. The platform had to serve visitors exploring the forest, while also providing a robust administrative backend for students and project managers.

The Solution & Tech Stack

The platform was built using a cutting-edge modern stack, integrating several complex APIs to create a deeply interactive experience:

• Next.js 16 & TypeScript: A blazing fast frontend utilizing the App Router.
• Supabase (PostgreSQL): Robust database architecture handling everything from content and blog posts to volunteer signups and cached audio.
• Groq AI Integration: Used not only for a highly-responsive Historical Figure Chatbot but also for on-the-fly Multi-Language Translations (NL to EN).
• Microsoft Edge TTS: An integrated Text-to-Speech "Read Aloud" feature that generates and caches audio in the database for accessibility.
• Interactive Maps: Leaflet maps guiding users along the route.
• Admin CMS: A comprehensive, secured dashboard for managing QR codes, quizzes, blog posts, partner logos, and approving volunteer applications.

The Challenge

If I'm being honest, the development of this project was an absolute crucible that truly tested my engineering capabilities. Midway through the highly-pressured sprint, severe communication issues forced a complete team split. By the time the split happened, we had absolutely nothing. No codebase, no architecture, and zero documentation.

Instead of scaling back the scope or giving up, I stepped up and took 100% independent ownership of the entire backend, the complex database architecture, the cutting-edge AI integrations, and the final deployment. I rapidly engineered a bulletproof Supabase backend from literal scratch, successfully implemented rate-limited and historically accurate AI endpoints utilizing Groq, engineered a dynamic TTS audio caching system, and locked down the entire platform with strict Row Level Security (RLS) all while racing against a completely unforgiving hard deadline.

The Result

Despite starting from zero halfway through the project and facing chaos that would have derailed most teams, I single-handedly pushed the platform across the finish line and deployed it on Vercel just in time for the live demonstration on March 4th. The platform functioned flawlessly, executing the "UNEARTHED" vision perfectly.

Thanks to the bulletproof architecture and flawless execution of my solo implementation, it was unanimously selected as the absolute best submission. As a direct result, I am now officially hosting the live site for the Gemeente Terneuzen!