Built With MongoDB: Vectorly

Siya Raj Purohit and Adam Hughes
June 9, 2021 | Updated: October 17, 2022
#BuiltWithMongoDB#Startups

When Sam Bhattacharyya spent time in the Peace Corps as a teacher in Mexico, he learned how much of a barrier the lack of internet bandwidth was for his classes. The students simply did not have the resources needed to take advantage of online learning, which was a problem Sam soon became fixated on.

Years later, Sam founded his company Vectorly with a goal to fix that bandwidth issue via an AI-based video compression solution that streams low-resolution videos and turns them into a high-definition viewing experience.

Vectorly is a software development kit (SDK) that companies can integrate into their video applications. Vectorly released its minimal viable product (MVP) for use by early customers in February 2021 and has a total of 20 companies that are actively using the product.

In this edition of #BuiltWithMongoDB, we talked with Sam about how Vectorly’s software works, how he got started with MongoDB for Startups, and the future of this fast-growing industry.

MongoDB: What's Vectoryl's mission?

Sam: We’re building a technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to upscale and enhance video in real time on users’ devices, as they watch it. So, what that lets a user do is stream low-resolution video content and watch it in high definition.

We have about 100 AI models on our server. Most of them are for AI upscaling, for different kinds of content and different quality levels. Based on feedback from customers, we've also been building AI filters for, say, virtual background replacement.

All that data is loaded in real time from the server every time you load the library. With our SDK, you specify that you want to use this AI filter on that library, and you have an API token that calls our API and that returns the AI model in real time to your device so you can watch the upscaled video.

AI takes some computing power, which can be a concern especially on low-end devices, and we’re conscious of that, so we pay close attention to performance and frame rate to make sure our AI models do not overload the devices users are working on.

MongoDB: What are some of the use cases for Victory?

Sam: The first is to think of a user that is watching Netflix with a slow internet connection. Because the network is so slow, that user’s going to end up with a low-resolution version of the video. But we have AI filters that can pop in and start to upscale and enhance the video and make it look as if it’s high definition. The other use case is around video conferencing, where all kinds of things can affect call quality or user experience, from background noise to blurry video. You can use AI to correct any of those issues that come up.

MongoDB: What does your tech stack consist of?

Sam: Our product is a software library, which is for the web, and it’s all built in JavaScript. The main JavaScript functionality we’re using is called WebGL, which is a graphics pipeline that lets you access the GPU on devices. We have a bunch of AI models on our server, which are just numbers stored in JSON files. Our SDKs load the AI models in real time, and we use MongoDB to track and store event data, as well as basic metadata.

MongoDB: How did you choose MongoDB?

Sam: I've been using MongoDB since I started programming in 2012. Although the first programming course I took used the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP), SQL seemed unintuitive, and the LAMP stack in general just felt bulky.

When I started my first personal programming project, I looked for alternatives, and I found this new thing called the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js). I thought it was the greatest thing in the world that you could use JavaScript in the front end and the back end, and that you could even use JSON like notation for the database. Having a full JavaScript stack made so much sense.

Every web development project I've started since has used the MEAN stack. When it came time to hack together the first version of Vectorly, MongoDB was our first choice for the database.

MongoDB: How has the experience been working with MongoDB?

Sam: It’s been fantastic. We had to come up with this model of tracking users and usage of our platform in a very short amount of time, because the first version we released had no tracking whatsoever. One of the things that saved us a lot of time was the MongoDB Charts function, because it really allows us to track what we’re doing. It was super quick to set up.

Looking to build something cool? Get started with the MongoDB for Startups program.

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Built With MongoDB: Phable

Hundreds of millions of people across India face chronic diseases. India has the second-highest number of diabetics in the world, and citizens with high blood pressure, thyroid conditions, and other chronic ailments are underserved in the country because there’s no robust system in place governing how the treatment and diagnosis will be handled. Given the lack of a proper infrastructure, diseases slip under the radar because they’re not caught early on. That’s where Phable comes in. According to TechCrunch , "Phable has created a more transparent and real-time communication channel that allows a doctor to nudge their patients to take their medicine on time, and make any necessary changes to the lifestyle or medication cycle, or request a follow-up appointment. The app itself can be used for tele-consultation, the demand for which has skyrocketed in recent quarters as coronavirus forced people to stay indoors.” The company, which has raised $12 million in funding from India’s Manipal Hospitals and venture capital and investment management firm SOSV, reaches 350,000 patients, 5,000 doctors, and a staff of 100 people across Chennai and Bangalore. In this edition of #BuiltWithMongoDB, we talk with Phable’s Creative and Marketing Consultant Ganesh Chandrashekar and Engineering Manager Venkatesh Walajabad about what drives their business. MongoDB: What is the Phable product offering right now? Ganesh: We currently have two products: patient facing, and doctor facing. For patients, we give them a sense of their everyday health and handhold them through the process of understanding their first symptoms, getting prescribed a treatment plan, and recording their ongoing lifestyle changes. We help map and manage those lifestyle changes at a fundamental level, while giving them intelligent insights to help them make small tangible changes to everyday habits. We also connect them to doctors in a more real-time manner, so doctors have deep visibility into a patient’s health, and the patients can get personalized recommendations from doctors. While our focus is on preventive and personalized care, we have some value-added services that ease our users’ journey. They can order medicines from the app, schedule video consultations with doctors, and request lab tests directly. We’re building a broader health tech ecosystem where we are able to partner with the relevant companies — including some leading names in health device manufacturing, insurance companies, and medicine providers. For doctors, we’ve built a full product suite with a decision support system and EMR. So we’re able to help them digitize their practice, prioritize and process patient data, simplify clinic management and build better relationships with their patients. MongoDB: Has COVID-19 impacted product adoption or any of the features that are being used? Ganesh: Our growth has been in parallel with the pandemic over the past year. The pandemic gave a sense of urgency, and put the spotlight back on healthcare and understanding health at a more granular level. A lot of the new features we have — especially virtual doctor consultations — were developed at a breakneck speed to cater to users at home during the pandemic. MongoDB: You released the video consultations really quickly, especially given the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 in 2020. How did you approach that from the technical side? Ventkatesh: Because there were a lot of unknowns in building this, we wanted to experiment and release in certain phases so we could gather feedback and then add features on top of that. We are quite nimble at Phable as a whole: we started with consultations, moved on to an ecommerce platform, and then added wallet features. Similarly, for the video consultation product, we released in chunks — experimenting with users, analyzing their usage, and then shipping the feature more widely. MongoDB: How did the team decide to build with MongoDB? Venkatesh: The decision for MongoDB happened right from Day 1, because the team wanted to go with a MEAN [MongoDB, Express.js , AngularJS , and Node.js ] and MERN [MongoDB, Express.js, ReactJS, and Node.js] stack. Initially we used the community version, and then early last year we shifted to MongoDB Atlas. We wanted to use all the clustering capabilities and backup support, in addition to the profiling and detection of slow queries. We use a lot of those features to figure out where our bottlenecks are. We got some credits through MongoDB for Startups, but MongoDB Atlas is still on the more expensive side for us. Even though it is a little expensive, the advantages that we get from MongoDB Atlas far outweigh the cost. We use AWS for our server needs, and we have a fair bit of integration between AWS and MongoDB via VPC peering so all data is more secure, in addition to the encryption MongoDB provides. MongoDB: How is your engineering team structured? Venkatesh: There are 18 engineers on the team — and we’re trying to add more so we can launch more features and expand into new markets. Readers take note: We are hiring engineers for our India offices! MongoDB: How has scaling with MongoDB been, especially given how much you've grown during COVID_19? Venkatesh: MongoDB Atlas takes care of all the autoscaling for us. We worked closely with a consultant to figure out what minimum and maximum instances we need for our clusters, and then we rely on MongoDB to do the autoscaling. During a calmer period, MongoDB Atlas scales down perfectly well and reduces the costs; in a high-growth period, it scales up to accommodate for the traffic. We love that it automanages things so we don’t have to worry about it day to day. Because MongoDB’s features take care of most of the work, we don’t need a dedicated person to oversee this — we plan a few months ahead, and then we let MongoDB take care of the work. Looking to build something cool? Get started with the MongoDB for Startups program.

June 2, 2021
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Welcome to the (Tech) Olympics!

Welcome to the Tech Olympics, where code meets competition! With the 2024 Summer Olympics starting today, we thought it’d be fun to imagine developers as athletes, showcasing their skills in a series of thrilling events. From relay races to coding challenges, the Tech Olympics would bring together the brightest minds in tech for a competition like no other. Whether you're a coding wizard, a bug-squashing maestro, or an AI aficionado, there would be something to test your limits and celebrate your talents. Opening ceremony The opening ceremony is one of the most iconic aspects of the Olympics. From the lighting of the torch to performances by local artists, the opening ceremony encapsulates the spectacle of the games, and is a necessity for the Tech Olympics. The Tech Olympics opening ceremony would kick off with a grand procession of teams involved, adorned in attire representing their area of expertise. Next, there’d be a performance by artists and developers using augmented and virtual reality to blend art with cutting-edge technology. Finally, there would be the lighting of the torch, but instead of the flame being run across the country, an application would be written and passed between developers from around the world that, when run, would light the torch and start the games. Now that we’ve kicked off the Tech Olympics, let's consider what its events might look like. Code sprint relay The "code sprint relay" would be a collaborative coding event where teams of developers would tackle a series of coding challenges in relay format. The twist would be that each member could only code for a set period (say, 5-10 minutes) before handing the code off to the next person. This setup requires clear communication and strategic planning, as each coder must quickly understand and build upon their predecessor's work. Code sprint relay challenges would range from algorithm problems to debugging tasks, demanding various skills and swift adaptability. This event would be fast-paced and dynamic, with a lively atmosphere filled with the buzz of coding and quick exchanges of ideas. Success would be measured not only by the completion of challenges but also by the efficiency and quality of the code, making this event a test of teamwork and technical skill under pressure. Security capture the flag Capture the flag might seem more like a kids’ game than an Olympic event, but trust us, there’d be nothing childish about this event. The "security capture the flag" event would be an exciting cybersecurity competition in which participants would need to solve security-related challenges to capture hidden "flags." These challenges would range from web application exploits and reverse engineering, to cryptographic puzzles and network forensics. Working in teams, participants would race against the clock to uncover vulnerabilities, exploit them, and find the embedded flags within a controlled, simulated environment. At the end, a debriefing session would highlight the most innovative solutions and techniques used. Success would be measured by the number of flags captured and the ingenuity of the approaches, showcasing participants' technical skills and strategic thinking under pressure. Bug hunt Have you ever built out your code and then, upon running it, realized that you made a mistake? If you have, you’ll understand just how intense this next event could be! The "bug hunt challenge" would be a fast-paced competition in which participants are tasked with finding and fixing bugs within a complex codebase. Each individual would be given the same software project with numerous hidden bugs, ranging from simple syntax errors to intricate logical flaws. Participants must use their debugging skills and tools to identify and resolve as many issues as possible within a set time limit. The event would be marked by intense focus and strategic problem-solving as competitors meticulously comb through the code. An automated system would verify the fixes instantly, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. Success would be measured by the quantity and severity of bugs resolved, along with the quality of the fixes, making this event a test of attention to detail and technical proficiency. AI arena We’d be remiss not to include an AI event! The "AI arena" event would be a competitive showcase where participants create machine learning models using a provided dataset to solve a specified problem. Teams would have several hours to analyze the data, create features, and train their models. The objective would be to develop a model with the highest accuracy and performance, balancing technical innovation with practical application. In the end, teams would present their models to judges, explaining their methodologies and challenges faced. Judging criteria would include model accuracy, creativity, and clarity of the presentation, making this event a comprehensive test of technical and communication skills. Location Finally, you can’t have an Olympics without a city to host it. There are plenty of tech hubs to choose from—San Francisco, London, Beijing—but we thought it’d be more fun to pick a growing tech hub like Ha Noi, Vietnam, as our location. Vietnam had the highest digital economy growth in Southeast Asia in 2022 , putting it on the path to be named alongside other “tech giant” cities. Also, Vietnamese food is excellent! During the games, local startups and tech companies would showcase their work on the world stage, and visiting developers would see the innovations that Vietnamese companies are working on. Sadly, there won’t be an actual Tech Olympics this year, but maybe in the future, there will be. An event that will bring the world's best developers together to showcase their skills, foster friendly competition, and allow the world to see just how amazing developers are. If you have some ideas about other events you would want to see at a Tech Olympics, connect with us on X (Twitter) and let us know what your ideas are. Interested in learning more about or connecting more with MongoDB? Join our MongoDB Community to meet other community members, hear about inspiring topics, and receive the latest MongoDB news and events.

July 26, 2024