DoteNote

Using AR Core
Ideating Process - 1
Ideating Process - 2
UI Model Creation - 2
Working with ARCore - 1
Ideation Complete
Working with ARCore - 2
DoteNote Logo
UI Model Creation - 1

Inspiration

Our inspiration to build this product was to provide users the feeling of leaving a mark on the real world in a virtual way for others to see.

What it does

In this application we allow one user to leave an AR note at a particular location. As the partner of this user walks close to the location at a later point in time, a notification will be seen on the phone. The notification will claim that there is a note nearby which the partner will now look for. Soon enough, the partner will find the AR note at that location.

We started to think about how this could be applied to communication as a whole. As we continues

How we built it

As MHCI students our aim was to build the right product rather than build the product right. We wanted to apply our inspiration to communication as a whole. After discussions, we narrowed down the scope to basic interactions between 2 people via AR. This lead us to think about the use-case for romantically involved individuals. DoteNote started this way. We then spent time learning how to use ARCore, Google Maps and Firebase with Android Studio to aid us in creating a working prototype of the solution. To add on to this, we spent time creating mock-up versions and userflows with a storyboard in order to get a deeper understanding of the application. These mockups were created with the help of tools like Sketch, Adobe AfterEffects, Origami, Adobe Illustrator.

Challenges we ran into

1) We were planning to use Geofire to upload geolocation data to Firebase Realtime Database but Geofire had a bug in version 2.3.1. The readme mentions that it is possible with geofire.setLocation() without an onCompleteListener but this causes the app to crash if the listener is omitted. It will only work if an onCompleteListener is passed into setLocation(). 2) ARCore is not supported for most android devices that are not high-end models. Due to this, we had only one device to test our code on. 3) Issues with designing for emerging technologies like - mixed reality. 4) Issues with recognizing planes with ARCore.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

1) We were able to have a 3d object the we modelled onto an AR environment using ARCore. 2) Successfully created end-to-end mockups of the entire application within 24 hours. 3) Successfully created a demo video of the application within 24 hours.

What we learned

1) Ideating process gave us insights on how to scope projects effectively. 2) Understood the basics of how ARCore works with Android Studio. 3) Understood how to deal with different design challenges while creating user interfaces.

What's next for DoteNote

1) Possibility of being implemented into a new type of social network. 2) Provide the ability to draw notes on the real world instead of selecting predefined objects. 3) Provide the ability for this application to be used even in long distance relationships.