Project MapIt
AR-powered indoor and outdoor campus navigation that knows where you actually need to go.
Focus: Augmented Reality & Wayfinding
Video Trailer
Project MapIt — Thesis Trailer
Video coming soon — add a YouTube or Vimeo embed URL tovideo_url in the thesis markdown file.
Abstract
MapIt is an augmented reality campus wayfinding application designed for Cal State East Bay. The app addresses a known pain point for new students, visitors, and accessibility-dependent users: the CSUEB campus is built across a hillside with non-intuitive building numbering, limited signage, and challenging indoor navigation. MapIt overlays directional arrows, building labels, and step-by-step room-level navigation directly on the device camera feed, guiding users from any outdoor point to any interior room.
Design Challenge
Standard mapping apps (Google Maps, Apple Maps) offer building-level exterior navigation but fail at indoor transitions and inaccessible route avoidance. Campus map PDFs are static and spatial reasoning–intensive. MapIt's design challenge: make arrival at any room on campus effortless for a first-time visitor, with particular attention to accessibility (elevator routes, ramp alternatives, accessible entrances).
Technical Approach
Built with ARKit (iOS) and ARCore (Android) via Unity AR Foundation. Indoor positioning uses a combination of Wi-Fi fingerprinting and visual marker recognition (AprilTags placed at key junctions). A custom campus graph model represents accessible and standard routes separately. Building footprint and room data were hand-mapped from official floor plans.
Outcomes
Beta testing with 30 first-semester students showed an average wayfinding time reduction of 43% compared to using the university's printed map. Accessibility route completion rate was 94% vs. 61% for the control condition. Presented at IxDIA 2024 and CSUEB Showcase.
Process Documentation
[Add campus mapping methodology, AR anchor placement documentation, UX testing data, screens here]