VivaTrace

VivaTrace is a self-reported tool designed to automate oral student assessments using voice interviews and AI. The project was submitted by two individuals (lemonzeng Zeng, vincent lee) as part of the OpenAI 2026 hackathon. It claims to support rubric-based grading, adaptive questioning, and evidence-based reporting for teaching assistants.

The author states that VivaTrace uses Next.js, TypeScript, Supabase, and OpenAI APIs to enable voice interviews, transcription, evaluation, and follow-up questions. The system is described as supporting multiple student submissions, immutable transcripts, and rubric-aligned scoring.

Key commercial due-diligence read: There is no evidence of revenue, customers, or adoption beyond the authors’ own description. The project appears to be a prototype or proof-of-concept submitted for a hackathon. The single most important open question is whether VivaTrace has moved beyond this initial stage and begun to attract users or generate traction.

The description states that VivaTrace is a tool that helps teaching assistants conduct rubric-based oral interviews with students via voice. It supports reviewing assignment materials, conducting adaptive voice interviews, asking clarification and code questions, and generating read-only transcripts and evidence-based reports.

It uses Next.js, TypeScript, Supabase, and OpenAI APIs. Supabase is said to manage authentication, storage, and interview data; OpenAI is used for plan generation, real-time voice interaction, transcription, answer evaluation, and follow-up questions.

The system is described as supporting:

• Multiple student submissions
• Immutable transcripts
• Rubric-aligned scoring
• Follow-up questions based on student answers

Inference: The tool appears to be a prototype or hackathon project built for educational use, likely targeting teaching assistants in higher education settings.

The author states that VivaTrace was inspired by oral defenses — which are effective at revealing understanding but difficult to scale. It positions itself as a way to automate this process while maintaining the quality of assessment.

It claims to:

• Conduct voice interviews
• Grade against rubrics
• Provide evidence quotes for every score
• Support code walkthroughs and clarification questions
• Generate read-only reports with connections between conclusions and evidence

Inference: The positioning is that VivaTrace is a digital assistant for educators, aiming to scale oral assessments without losing their depth.

The description states that VivaTrace is intended for teaching assistants, particularly in higher education contexts where oral defenses are used but difficult to manage at scale.

It is described as helping TAs run interviews with students, supporting multiple submissions, and generating reports. The system supports code walkthroughs and clarification questions, suggesting a focus on technical or STEM disciplines.

Inference: The ICP appears to be teaching assistants in higher education, especially those dealing with large class sizes and technical coursework (e.g., computer science, engineering).

The description does not state anything about pricing, business model, monetization, or revenue streams. It is entirely self-reported and unverified.

Not evidenced: No information on how the product would be sold, who pays, or whether it's a freemium, subscription, or one-time purchase model.

The project was built using:

• Next.js
• TypeScript
• Supabase (for auth/storage/interview data)
• OpenAI APIs (for transcription, evaluation, follow-up questions)
• WebRTC (likely for voice interaction)

It claims to handle:

• Voice interviews
• Real-time interaction
• File format processing
• Interview state consistency during failures

Inference: The tech stack suggests a modern web application with AI integration and real-time capabilities. However, no evidence of production deployment or scalability is provided.

The project was submitted to the OpenAI 2026 hackathon, indicating it is likely a prototype or proof-of-concept. There is no evidence of:

• Revenue
• Customers
• Adoption
• Product-market fit
• Live usage
• Product maturity beyond initial development

Not evidenced: No traction data, user feedback, or real-world deployment.

The description does not mention any competitors or market context. It does not state whether similar tools exist in the market for automated oral assessments or educational AI tools.

Not evidenced: No competitive landscape, existing solutions, or differentiation from other tools.

• Prototype only: Submitted to a hackathon; no evidence of real-world use.
• No revenue or customers: The product is described as self-reported and unverified.
• Unproven scalability: Challenges around latency, file formats, and state consistency were noted but not resolved in the description.
• No business model: No indication of how the tool would be monetized or who pays for it.
• Limited team size: Only two members are listed, which may limit execution speed or depth.

Inference: The project is likely early-stage and lacks commercial viability or traction.

1. Has VivaTrace moved beyond the hackathon prototype stage?
2. Are there any users or pilot programs currently running with the tool?
3. How does the product plan to scale beyond a small team of developers?
4. What is the intended pricing model and target market segment?
5. Have you identified any specific educational institutions or platforms that might adopt this?
6. What are the technical challenges remaining around voice interaction, latency, and state management?