MarineGPT - AI Marine Engineering Assistant

🚢 Overview

MarineGPT is an intelligent AI-powered assistant specifically designed for marine engineering professionals. It provides expert guidance on vessel maintenance, navigation systems, marine engineering calculations, design specifications, and troubleshooting. The application leverages Google's Gemini AI to deliver accurate, industry-specific responses backed by authoritative marine engineering resources.

✨ Features

🤖 AI-Powered Marine Engineering Expertise

• Specialized Knowledge: Trained on marine engineering standards, codes, and regulations
• Real-time Assistance: Instant responses to technical queries and calculations
• Problem Diagnosis: Help with troubleshooting marine equipment and systems
• Design Guidance: Support for marine engineering design and specifications

🎨 Modern User Interface

• Responsive Design: Works seamlessly on desktop and mobile devices
• Dark Theme: Professional dark interface optimized for extended use
• Real-time Chat: Smooth conversation flow with typing indicators
• Message History: Edit and manage previous conversations
• Markdown Support: Rich text formatting for technical responses

🔧 Technical Capabilities

• Marine Engineering Calculations: Engine performance, fuel consumption, stability
• Equipment Specifications: Detailed technical specifications and standards
• Maintenance Procedures: Step-by-step maintenance and repair guidance
• Regulatory Compliance: IMO, USCG, and international maritime standards
• Resource Integration: Access to authoritative marine engineering databases

🏗️ Architecture

The application follows a modern client-server architecture:

MarineGPT/
├── client/                 # React TypeScript Frontend
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/     # UI Components
│   │   ├── services/       # API Services
│   │   └── lib/           # Utilities
│   └── package.json
└── server/                # Node.js Express Backend
    ├── index.js           # Main server file
    ├── env.example        # Environment variables template
    └── package.json

Frontend (React + TypeScript)

• React 19: Latest React with modern hooks and features
• TypeScript: Type-safe development
• Vite: Fast development and build tooling
• Tailwind CSS: Utility-first styling
• Lucide React: Beautiful icons
• React Markdown: Rich text rendering

Backend (Node.js + Express)

• Express.js: Fast, unopinionated web framework
• Google Gemini AI: Advanced AI model for marine engineering
• CORS: Cross-origin resource sharing
• Nodemon: Development server with auto-reload
• Dotenv: Environment variable management

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• Google Gemini AI API key

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/marine-gpt.git
   cd marine-gpt

2. Install server dependencies

   cd server
   npm install

3. Install client dependencies

   cd ../client
   npm install

4. Configure Environment Variables

   Get your Gemini API key:

   • Visit Google AI Studio
   • Create a new API key

   Set up environment variables:

   cd server
   cp env.example .env

   Edit the .env file and add your API key:

   GEMINI_API_KEY=your_actual_api_key_here
   PORT=3000
   NODE_ENV=development

5. Start the development servers

   Terminal 1 - Start the backend:

   cd server
   npm start

   Terminal 2 - Start the frontend:

   cd client
   npm run dev

6. Access the application

   Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:5173

📚 Usage

Getting Started

1. Open the application in your web browser
2. Type your marine engineering question in the chat input
3. Press Enter or click the send button
4. Receive expert guidance from the AI assistant

Example Queries

• "How do I calculate the fuel consumption for a marine diesel engine?"
• "What are the IMO requirements for ballast water management?"
• "Troubleshoot a marine generator that won't start"
• "Design specifications for a ship's cooling system"
• "Calculate vessel stability for different loading conditions"

Features

• Edit Messages: Click on any message to edit and resend
• Copy Responses: Use the copy button to save important information
• Sidebar Navigation: Access different sections and features
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

The server uses the following environment variables:

Variable	Description	Required	Default
GEMINI_API_KEY	Google Gemini AI API key	Yes	-
PORT	Server port	No	3000
NODE_ENV	Environment mode	No	development

CORS Configuration

The server is configured to accept requests from:

• http://localhost:5173
• http://127.0.0.1:5173
• http://localhost:5175
• http://127.0.0.1:5175

🛠️ Development

Available Scripts

Server:

npm start          # Start development server with nodemon
npm test           # Run tests (placeholder)

Client:

npm run dev        # Start development server
npm run build      # Build for production
npm run lint       # Run ESLint
npm run preview    # Preview production build

Project Structure

client/src/
├── components/          # Reusable UI components
│   ├── ChatMessage.tsx  # Individual chat message component
│   ├── Sidebar.tsx      # Navigation sidebar
│   └── ui/             # Base UI components
├── services/           # API and external services
│   └── api.ts         # API communication
├── lib/               # Utility functions and configurations
└── App.tsx            # Main application component

🔒 Security

• API Key Protection: Store API keys in environment variables (.env file)
• Environment Files: .env files are gitignored to prevent exposure
• CORS Configuration: Restrict cross-origin requests
• Input Validation: Sanitize user inputs
• HTTPS: Use HTTPS in production environments

📄 License

This project is licensed under the ISC License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📞 Support

For support and questions:

• Create an issue in the GitHub repository
• Contact the development team
• Check the documentation for common solutions

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Google Gemini AI for providing the AI capabilities
• React Team for the amazing frontend framework
• Marine Engineering Community for domain expertise
• Open Source Contributors for various libraries and tools

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Built with ❤️ for the Marine Engineering Community

⚓ Smooth sailing with MarineGPT! ⚓