Augmented Reality for Cyclists: A New Navigation Experience 🚴‍♂️

As a cyclist, one is much more exposed than other modes of transport. For this reason, navigating busy streets while keeping an eye on the road can be dangerous challenge. Enter the world of Augmented Reality (AR) to improve the way cyclists navigate.

The Vision 🌟

Our team explored the application of AR navigation for cyclists. This application aims to provide both audio and visual cues to help cyclists navigate without diverting their attention from the road. Designed for smartphones and AR glasses, this app promises an intuitive and helpful experience.

Note: The primary goal is to ensure that users can focus on the road while seamlessly receiving directions.

How Does It Work? 🤔

The application leverages the camera and GPS functionalities of smartphones. It overlays waypoints onto the real world, guiding the cyclist through their journey. Imagine having a virtual waypoint illuminated right in front of you, ensuring you never miss a turn and never need to look away from the road!

Addressing Potential Distractions 🚫

The team is acutely aware of the potential distractions that visual and auditory feedback can cause. Hence, they’ve chosen specific interaction concepts to mitigate these concerns:

• Binaural Peripheral Audio Cues: These are 3D sound cues that help in determining the correct direction by panning the audio between the left and right ear. The sound is a low-passed periodic wave, meaning its presence aims to minimize interference with the existing environmental sounds.

• Animated Visual Waypoints: Rather than informing the user through occluding their field of view with text or by lighting up the entire path, the destination is visible as a waypoint which periodically fades in and out, allowing the full environment to be viewed.

Why This Solution? 🚀

We believed that the AR solution offered a unique and innovative approach to enhance the cycling experience. Not only does it promise to improve navigation, but it also aimed to elevate the safety of cyclists on the road.

In conclusion, we believe the future of cycling navigation could look promising with the integration of AR technology and encourage anyone to draw inspiration from our investigation. Please feel free to read the paper for more information.