NoBonk

An extra nudge to look up—even when another Android app is open.

NoBonk uses your phone's rear camera and on-device AI to notice people and selected nearby objects, with visual alerts, sound and vibration. Set it up in the camera view, then choose Run in background to continue a user-started session alongside other apps.

NoBonk is an experimental awareness helper. It can miss hazards or warn late. Your attention always comes first.

SET UP, TRY, THEN SWITCH APPS
1. Read and acknowledge the safety reminder. Start in a safe, well-lit space while standing still.
2. Allow camera access, start detection and point the uncovered rear camera toward the scene. Compare the labels with what you can see.
3. Choose your model, detection mode, sensitivity and cues.
4. Tap Run in background and enable the requested overlay access. An ongoing notification and screen-edge indicator show the active session; alerts can appear above other apps.
5. Use Open NoBonk to return to the camera controls. Use Stop in the app or notification to end the session.

WAYS TO EXPLORE NOBONK
• Compare the camera's labels with people, pets or supported objects around you in a safe space.
• Try a background session while another app is visible, keeping the rear camera pointed toward the scene.
• Tune the cues you find easiest to notice, then test returning to NoBonk and stopping detection.
• Share missed detections, confusing controls and device performance with the project to help improve it.

CONTROLS THAT FIT YOUR PHONE
Fast uses a smaller model; Sharp uses a larger one. Results and speed depend on the phone, lighting and scene. People mode focuses on people. The broader Everything mode covers people, bicycles, cars, motorcycles, buses, trucks, cats and dogs—it does not detect every object. Separate surface checks can display possible-obstacle or ground warnings.

Get visual warnings, with optional vibration, directional stereo sound cues and spoken left/right/ahead alerts. Directions describe where an object appears, not a safe route to follow. Spoken alerts use your phone's text-to-speech engine.

The 0.5 m, 1 m, 2 m and 3.5 m presets adjust alert sensitivity. They are not precise distance boundaries. Displayed distances are approximate camera-based estimates.

CAMERA PROCESSING STAYS ON YOUR PHONE
Camera frames are processed in memory and are not saved as photos or videos or uploaded by NoBonk. The Android app has no Internet permission, accounts, ads or analytics service.

Foreground object-alert history is encrypted in app-private storage and can be cleared in the app. Background detections are not added to this history. Optional approximate location tagging is off by default. Settings and safety acknowledgments are also stored locally. Google Play updates and the system text-to-speech service operate separately.

WHY KRISHAV BUILT IT
After seeing students at school bump into each other or walls while looking at their phones, Krishav wondered whether the phone itself could offer a helpful cue. NoBonk grew from that question into a student-built project, supported by family, AI coding tools and real-phone testing.

KNOW ITS LIMITS
NoBonk is not a certified safety device, navigation aid or replacement for watching your surroundings. No alert does not mean the path is clear. Poor light, camera angle, movement, battery settings and other apps can affect detection or interrupt a session. Do not rely on it for road crossings, driving, cycling or dangerous navigation. Test with plenty of space; never approach a hazard to trigger an alert.

Requires Android 10 or later and a rear camera. Learn more and send feedback at nobonk.genwhy.ai or [email protected].