Easy Wayfinding Maps

I could get lost on my way from my living room to my bedroom. It’s so bad that it used to be an ongoing joke amongst my friends is to ask which direction we should go and then head the opposite direction. They’re just so hilarious. .

But that was before the age of SmartPhones and apps. Now, I never get lost (yea, alright it still is known to happen sometimes). Using mapping tools like GeoHubs, app developers can build apps that could get you out of the Amazon Jungle, blindfolded. The technology has reached the point where it can even provide extraordinarily accurate walking directions..

So what’s the point here? Well, we’ve reached a point that the accuracy and precision of GPS technology are creating new economic markets. GPS is a network of satellites established by the US government in 1973 – through the full network as we know it today wasn’t operational for another 22 years. Originally designed with military applications in mind, it quickly became clear that the potential of GPS was tremendous..

The GPS network was opened to the general public in 1983, though the US deliberately degraded the signal quality allotted to civilian use (to protect against possible precision missile strikes). Once available, it quickly became the preferred method of triangulation for engineers, archaeologists and other navigation/mapping-based industries around the world..

Eventually, President Clinton removed the quality restriction and GPS became widely used in general society as driving navigation aides. When mobile apps came along in the late aughts, it was only natural that we would soon see Wayfinding apps. These early mapping apps were fairly accurate, but not exceptionally so – often up to 60 feet (20m) or more off. This made it applicable only to driving, as 60 feet when you’re traveling 60 MPH is more or less meaningless..

Last year, Wayfinding app technology made a huge jump forward, achieving a horizontal accuracy of about 12-15 feet (3.5m), across all smartphones. And what are we seeing? The increase of accurate wayfinding apps for pedestrian travel..

Now, what we’re driving at here is that each time the technology available to the public improves, new market opportunities arise. The exceptional accuracy of wayfinding apps has changed the rules governing how entrepreneurs can use GPS technology. If Silicon Valley has taught us anything, it’s that with disruption and change comes the chance to make millions..

We’re speaking from a position of authority here: even before the tech was widely available, we were using it to building top-notch wayfinding products like iGuide, the navigation tool for Casino-goers around the world. iGuide was a successful solution for a few distinct reasons:

• It was able to guide users through a casino, connecting them to hot events, the best eateries, and their favorite games;

• User-oriented map with an mapping animation digitally showing the user the correct direction; and.

• an Excellent algorithm that not only provided accurate navigation but also quickly and efficiently fetched information from an integrated database and had an accurate, predictive search function..

There was a lot more than that to it, but those are some of the highlights. Please check out our Case Studies page to read about it more, plus some of our other excellent work..

Since then, we’ve gone on to apply our skills to other wayfinding projects, from wayfinding apps for hospitals to ones for shopping malls There are many other industries out there that could benefit from good wayfinding technology – and the opportunities are only increasing. .

For an entrepreneur, the best part is that a wayfinding app can be developed for individual locations, making the opportunities endless. Heck – you could even create an app with hundreds of maps of museums, parks, zoos, etc and sell a subscription to locations worldwide. Why not contact SDI now to get a free consultation with our Chief Technology Officer?.

Let’s take a closer look at how mapping apps can help one industry in particular: The Medical Industry or, to be more specific, hospitals. .

Hospital and Wayfinding.

Most people have at least one horror story about a hospital, whether it’s getting lost, waiting in the wrong place, or frustration over waiting times. Let’s face it, most people aren’t precisely on their best while at a hospital. Whether you’re there for yourself or someone else, hospital visits can be pretty traumatic..

Wayfinding apps for hospitals can alleviate many of the common problems associated with hospitals by.

• Sending active push notifications to a phone when a user enters a hospital, informing them of the app and its advantages..

• Ideally, the app should be free for users. The most effective revenue model for this project would be a subscription charged to hospitals for the use of the app..

• Providing accurate, real-time navigation with animation directing the user to the correct location. Users should be able to easily select a location from a drop-down menu, or manually input the location..

• A great advanced feature would be the ability for visitors to input their loved one’s name and receive directions to the correct room..

• Interactive search functions would be excellent for a hospital wayfinding app. Instead of just searching for locations, a user could input the reason for their visit to receive further details and direction to the appropriate location;

• Active push notifications informing the user that they may be in the wrong location. This would be especially useful if combined with the interactive search feature, and.

• In the case of non-emergencies, Users could download the app to provide them with extraneous details such as wait times, specialties, time/directions to the hospital, and other relevant details..

• Obviously, some of these features are also useful in emergency situations as well..

There are a lot more potential features we could discuss but, alas, we are out space. If you would like to read more about wayfinding technology, check out our another blog on monetization of wayfinding apps. When you’re done there, head on over to our contact page to get in touch..

Your Mobile Wayfinding App Partners.

SDI is a unique app, software, and website development company in that we have a split on-shore/off-shore workflow process. Our developers and designers are located in India, while our management team is based in Silicon Valley. This allows us to offer prices starting as low as $2,000 per project while avoiding some of the common problems associated with offshore development.

You can hire a dedicated onsite/offsite development team with a quick email and get your project launched today. Prefer a phone call? No problem – you can reach us at 408.802.2882.