oogle Maps is the go to navigation app that people use when they get behind the wheel, but one of the features that's missing from it which would enhance the driving experience is the support of AR instructions, where drivers would be able to see which lane they need to be in and what turn they need to take.
At the moment, the Google Maps app does offer something similar for the walking mode which is aimed at pedestrians, however the driving feature only uses a classic map UI and the satellite mode.
To combat this and enhance the driving experience, a China based company AutoNavi has developed a navigation app called Gaode, which is one of the first apps to provide drivers with AR navigation.
AutoNavi was founded in 2001, with one of its subsidiary companies, Beijing Mapabc Co. Ltd. being a map website in China. AutoNavi was acquired by Alibaba Group in 2014.
Using the camera phone, Gaode looks at the road ahead and displays the relevant information, including navigation instructions, highlights signs and issues warnings all in real time.
The app looks similar to Google Maps, with the navigation instructions being an overlay added over the image captured in real time by the camera. The right side of the screen is used by the classic map mode.
This new app created by AutoNavi has the potential to make navigation significantly easier, but it is worth mentioning the potential distraction that such a feature could cause, as drivers could end up looking at the screen for a little longer than they currently do with the classic map mode, and so, this feature may need additional improvements to reduce the time drivers must spend looking at the screen.
AutoNavi stated that the new AR feature is currently only available on android, but an iPhone version is in the works.
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