Digital tourism: MacQuest app brings users inside campus buildings
'Visitors and new students often get lost on campus and have difficulties finding parking lots, rooms and buildings,' says Computing and Software associate professor Rong Zheng. 'The existing campus map only contains static and non-searchable information.' MacQuest provides on-campus searchable navigation, including indoor floor map visualization, and other campus-related services.
A group of McMaster computing and software researchers have created an Android app that will help people navigate campus both outside and inside buildings.
Available through Google Play, MacQuest provides on-campus searchable navigation, including indoor floor map visualization and other campus-related services.
McMaster University buildings, parking lots, individual rooms, pathways, bathrooms and elevators are among the many spots that are featured in the app.
Working under the supervision of Computing and Software associate professor Rong Zheng, the app was built by the Wireless System Research Group (WiSeR) this summer. PhD student Qiang Xu and masters students Zhen (Vincent) Chen, Xiang (Michael) Xiao, Tianwei (Terry) Liu participated in the project.
Not only can users use the app to navigate from class to class, it also lists last, next, and following bus arrival times near campus by bus stop and route number. It also allows users to look for nearby bathrooms, stairs and elevators.
“Visitors and new students often get lost on campus and have difficulties finding parking lots, rooms and buildings,” Zheng says. “The existing campus map only contains static and non-searchable information.”
Future plans for this app includes porting to iOS devices and integration of indoor positioning technologies under development in WiSeR.
For more information, search for MacQuest on Google Play.
