AR Indoor Navigation App for Campuses and Malls

Problem statement

GPS works well outdoors but is unreliable inside large buildings like malls, hospitals or campuses, making it difficult for visitors to find rooms, shops or departments. Static signboards are not always intuitive. An AR-based navigation system can provide intuitive, turn-by-turn directions on a smartphone.

Abstract

This project develops a mobile AR application that overlays directional arrows and markers on the live camera feed to guide users to their destination inside a building. The app uses indoor maps, QR-code or marker-based location initialization, and AR frameworks (ARCore/ARKit) for tracking device pose. Users select their destination (e.g., lab number, shop name) and the app computes a path, then displays virtual arrows, lines and labels aligned with the real-world environment as viewed through the camera.

Components required

• Android phone with ARCore support or iPhone with ARKit
• Unity or native ARCore/ARKit SDK
• Indoor floor plan or map data
• QR codes / visual markers for location calibration (or BLE beacons, optional)
• Simple backend or local data store for POIs (rooms, shops, labs)

Block diagram

Working

The user opens the app and scans a known marker (e.g., QR at entrance) to calibrate the starting position. The AR engine continuously tracks device movement using visual-inertial odometry. The user chooses a destination from a list or map. The path planning module calculates the shortest path using the indoor graph. As the user moves, the AR renderer draws virtual arrows and labels anchored to the real environment in the camera view, indicating turn directions and distance. The path updates in real time as the user progresses.

Applications

• University and college campus navigation
• Shopping mall and exhibition hall guidance
• Airport and hospital wayfinding
• Showcase project for AR + mapping