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Welcome to Quartermaster

Welcome to the public documentation and tutorial library for Quartermaster—your complete smart kitchen and provisions management ecosystem.

Quartermaster is designed to help you command your kitchen and master your provisions by automatically tracking inventory, compiling smart shopping lists, suggesting AI-powered meals, and reducing food waste.

Why "Quartermaster"? (The Nautical Connection)​

In the Golden Age of Sail, the Quartermaster was one of the most trusted and vital officers on a ship. While the Captain directed the ship in battle, the Quartermaster was elected by the crew to oversee the vessel's day-to-day operations and survival.

Most importantly, the Quartermaster was the guardian of the ship's provisions, stores, and cargo. It was their duty to:

  • Manage supply levels and distribute rations fairly.
  • Keep a meticulous log of all foodstuffs, water, and ammunition on board.
  • Ensure the ship never ran dry of critical provisions in the middle of the ocean.
  • Prevent spoilage and waste by managing the order in which stores were consumed.

The Quartermaster App and Station act as the digital officer for your household "vessel." Just like a ship's officer, the platform monitors your stores, prevents food waste by tracking expiration dates, and manages your shopping list—ensuring your kitchen is always stocked, organized, and ready for whatever lies ahead.

The Quartermaster Ecosystem​

The platform consists of three main components working in real-time sync:

  1. The Mobile/Web App: A native companion application (for iOS, Android, and browsers) that allows you to manage lists, view logs, search your pantry, change settings, and get recipe suggestions.
  2. The Scanner Station (Bridge Node): A physical kitchen appliance powered by a Raspberry Pi. It is equipped with a laser barcode scanner, physical control buttons, a speaker, and a status LED, enabling quick physical scans of food items.
  3. The Supabase Cloud: A secure backend database and edge function ecosystem that coordinates sync, authenticates users, stores metadata, and drives the Chef AI.
graph TD
    App[Mobile/Web App] <--> DB[(Supabase Cloud)]
    Station[Scanner Station] <--> DB
    DB <--> OpenAI[Chef AI / Whisper Voice API]

Quick Start Guide​

Step 1: Download & Sign Up​

  1. Download the app for your platform or open the PWA in your browser.
  2. Create an account with your email and password.
  3. Establish your Household (which allows family members to share a single inventory and shopping list in real-time).

Step 2: Use Standalone Mode​

You can start using Quartermaster immediately in standalone mode without any hardware:

  • Use the pantry page to add items manually.
  • Tap the camera icon to use your phone's camera as a barcode scanner.
  • Build your shopping list and manage locations (Freezer, Fridge, Pantry).

Step 3: Integrate Scanner Station (Optional)​

If you have a physical Scanner Station in your kitchen:

  1. Turn on the Station and wait for the status light to pulse blue.
  2. Go to Settings -> Hardware Nodes -> Adopt Node in the app.
  3. Scan the Node's QR code to link it to your household.
  4. Scan physical items directly at the station for hands-free logging!