NavigAR

Inspiration

We entered the Hackathon with a passion for patient education and patient autonomy. With NavigAR, we hope to improve the ability of patients to navigate through the hospital and the healthcare system. NavigAR provides patients with greater control over their medical information during their hospital stay, and more information regarding any prescription medication or other medical advice following their discharge.

What it does

NavigAR is a platform that uses augmented reality technology to empower patients during healthcare visits and facilitate their care, as well as reduce administrative work for healthcare providers. Patients with NavigAR are able to check in to their appointments using QR codes as soon as they arrive, enter their healthcare information for the physician’s review, and use NavigAR’s navigation system to get through the hospital. Furthermore, NavigAR provides patients with additional information regarding any medications they are prescribed.

How we built it

We used Vuforia to help scan QR codes and create the augmented reality images of medical records, ARkit was used to create the AR system for navigation, and Unity was used as an interface.

Challenges we ran into

Not having a blueprint of the hospital made creating a usable navigation system a challenge. Additionally, it was difficult to integrate the different portions of the app, especially because some sections did not require both ARkit and Unity.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We built an app that could help patients through the recognition of QR codes and creation of an augmented reality using these images, a relatively untapped technology in healthcare.

What we learned

We learned a lot about the healthcare system through extensive brainstorming about the different problems and potential solutions in healthcare. In addition, we all learned more about building AR systems.

What's next for NavigAR

Hospitals that adopt NavigAR can submit blueprints that would make navigation through the app much more flexible and versatile, especially for people who may require special accommodations when traveling between departments or buildings within the hospital.