TapNav Augmented Reality Navigation App Reads the Lane Ahead
Posted in: apps, augmented reality, Today's Chili, Transportation
Ugly, plain and iPhone-only, but TapNav at least pays attention to the road ahead
TapNav is an upcoming augmented reality (AR) navigation app from mSonar. Unlike other AR navigation systems, which just overlay information onto the camera’s live feed based on GPS and compass positions, TapNav actually reads the input from the camera. This allows it to offer some services that vanilla GPS can’t.
Like other AR apps, TapNav shows you the road ahead and overlays your route. This helps you quickly see where you are supposed to be going, without having to decode a 3-D representation in your brain.
This looks pretty cool (although right now the screenshots show that the graphics are rather blocky), but the future plans look even better. Because it reads the image of the lane ahead at 29fps, TapNav will be able to react to the road conditions. Thus, an update promises lane detection (with an alarm if you drift off your line), and distance detection to keep you away from the vehicle in front.
Thankfully, one promised tweak will be “major updates on UI.” That should stop TapNav from looking quite so much like a 1990s driving game.
The app launches tomorrow, and will run on iPhone’s with cameras. I have a trial version, but it refuses to copy itself onto the iPad 2. A shame, as the bigger display would be great for quickly glancing the route ahead.
The app will be $3 and include a 60-day subscription to the services. Further subscriptions will be available as in app purchases.
MSonar Internet home page [MSonar]
See Also:
- Augmented Reality
- Word Lens: Augmented Reality App Translates Street Signs Instantly …
- Augmented Reality App Identifies Strangers With Camera
- How it Works: Augmented Reality
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