This App Will Help You Navigate Through A New City Like A Local

If you’ve ever started following your phone’s navigation app down the street only to realise you were going in the opposite direction of your destination, you’ve likely done the embarrassing ‘stop and pivot’.

Now, thanks to the AR City app from augmented reality (AR) company Blippar, you can be sure you reach your destination the first time.

With the help of a lifelike 3D visualisation of your surroundings, the AR City app shows you where to walk based on what you can actually see – meaning no more spinning on the spot, trying to work out which way the GPS arrow is pointing.

Unlike current 2D navigation apps, the AR City app offers 3D accuracy and contextual information to help users reach their destinations with ‘double the accuracy of GPS’.
Users can see their walking route as it appears in real life, while digitally overlaid 3D arrows point where to go. Buildings and street names appear overlaid on an image of the real street in front of you, and soon you’ll be able to tap to get more information on points of interests, such as monuments and restaurants, as you walk by.

‘The technology seamlessly combines the digital with the physical, and is a significant step in our mission to create AR natural enough that users don’t feel any disconnect,’ says Blippar CEO Ambarish Mitra.

While the app’s beta version is available everywhere and supported by Apple Maps on iPhone 6s and above, the enhanced urban-visual positioning and directional information features are only available in Central London, San Francisco and Mountain View, California.

For more on augmented reality, check out the coolest AR projects making the most of Microsoft’s HoloLens.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

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