AugSatNav - Augmented Reality Navigation

**Phyora** · 10-22-2009, 11:52 AM

Hi,

I recently released an app I have been working on for, what seems like, most of the year. It is an augmented reality navigation application.

What does that mean? Well, instead of using a 2D map to plot your route it draws a 3D route line upon a live camera view of the road/path ahead. This allows you to point your phone at the road, see which road is highlighted by the "route line" and then simply follow the line to your destination.

It was a difficult application to build as the sensors on current phones are very "noisy" which makes it difficult to create augmented reality applications which rely on high accuracy. Nevertheless, I have been able to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy and the app works rather well.

It currently supports walking and driving direction, however the driving mode is a BETA preview as although it works, can still be improved.

I put together a video to demonstrate the driving mode:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC5-gQGvTfc

You can read a little more about AugSatNav here:
http://phyora.com/augsatnav.html

The app is still very much a "work in progress", so I would love to hear your comments and feedback to help improve AugSatNav.

It is published to the "Travel" category of the Android market and is currently ranked about 25th. It is called "AugSatNav 1.5" and is free to download.

Thanks,

Miles

**BadBoy** · 10-22-2009, 12:03 PM

Wow....nice! I'm definitely going to check this out.

**Phyora** · 10-22-2009, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by BadBoy

Wow....nice! I'm definitely going to check this out.

Thanks, when you do test it make sure you go outside and test it near a road like its intended - i'm sure some people test it indoors where the GPS doesn't work too well and wonder what it's supposed to be doing!

Oh, I almost forgot - When testing it on foot make sure you select "walking" directions. If inside a vehicle select "driving", otherwise the compass will not work

Let me know how it goes!

**cmbarry1** · 10-22-2009, 12:21 PM

Looks nice gonna give it a go

**Phyora** · 10-22-2009, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by cmbarry1

Looks nice gonna give it a go

Great, from your status I gather you have a G1. Some people have been telling me that they have to open their keyboard for the app to work in landscape - is this the case?

The most recent version can be used in portrait and landscape and I didn't realise the G1 doesn't "auto-rotate" when held horizontally...

**HavocG1** · 10-22-2009, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Phyora

Great, from your status I gather you have a G1. Some people have been telling me that they have to open their keyboard for the app to work in landscape - is this the case?

The most recent version can be used in portrait and landscape and I didn't realise the G1 doesn't "auto-rotate" when held horizontally...

It does, you have to enable it in the settings. I'll be checking this app out as well.

**Derrick** · 10-22-2009, 01:29 PM

Cool! I'ma try this out on my way home from school tomarrow. Hope it works so I can impress everyone on the bus

**Phyora** · 10-22-2009, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Derrick

Cool! I'ma try this out on my way home from school tomarrow. Hope it works so I can impress everyone on the bus

So do I

It doesn't auto-generate the route if you take a wrong turn at present, so you will need to cross your fingers and hope the bus takes the same route as the one Google directions generates. Other than that it should work

**Derrick** · 10-22-2009, 02:11 PM

So do I It doesn't auto-generate the route if you take a wrong turn at present, so you will need to cross your fingers and hope the bus takes the same route as the one Google directions generates. Other than that it should work

Alright thanks for the headsup, but I have a question. If we travel off the route and then get back on it will the app continue where it left off?We used to be the first stop but now we have to go out of the way for another for just ONE girl. She's cute though so we all let it slide

**Phyora** · 10-22-2009, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by Derrick

Alright thanks for the headsup, but I have a question. If we travel off the route and then get back on it will the app continue where it left off?We used to be the first stop but now we have to go out of the way for another for just ONE girl. She's cute though so we all let it slide

The route will still "exist" so if you go off it you can either turn around and find it again or "rejoin" it further along the route, it will still be there and there's no need to regenerate it. However, if you want to regenerate the route as soon as you go off it, the app will just set the departure point as your current location and you should "hopefully" be back on it.

If in doubt of where the route is, check the "Map View" - it will show your current location and where Google has created the route (so you will know if your getting closer/further to it).