January 2018 Summaries

An innovative augmented reality (AR) navigation app was developed using the Maps SDK for Unity to facilitate indoor navigation within a San Francisco office, leveraging Mapbox's capabilities. The project involved three phases: importing indoor map data into Mapbox, rendering the data in Unity to create a 3D map that aligns with real-world dimensions, and localizing this map in AR for seamless navigation. The app uses geo-referenced images and vector features to create a detailed map, which is rendered at real-world scale and enhanced with AR features such as synchronization and destination points. Users must align their devices with the map through a two-step process involving ground plane scanning and sync point identification. Future improvements suggested include incorporating Bluetooth beacons for automatic synchronization to enhance user experience and support seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor navigation. Users are encouraged to experiment with the project and share their innovations, with resources available for learning more about location-based AR and VR applications.

Lè Shine is a digital map inspired by a monochromatic blue globe that Tristen Brown and the author encountered, aiming to transform its static beauty into an interactive experience. The globe's unique features, such as color-coded country distinctions, Futura place labels, ocean currents, and dot-patterned hill shading, influenced the design of the map. The map is structured to reveal different details at various zoom levels, with lower zooms showing ocean currents and country polygons, while higher zooms display road networks, cities, and points of interest. A map taxonomy chart was created to guide stylistic decisions like road widths and label hierarchy, allowing users to customize the map to align with their brand colors. Lè Shine can be added to user accounts for direct use or further customization, offering a versatile tool for app or website integration through Mapbox.