Integrating Augmented Reality into GPS functions, HomeButton will show users how to get home by lighting the way through the app on their phone, and they will feel more familiar because the view in their phone will be exactly the same as what they see in the real world.
This app was designed with the ideas of safety, autonomy, and empowerment in mind for its users.
The target populations for this app are:
Aging Population with mild memory impairments or dementia
Young Family members
Individuals with cognitive impairments such as Downs Syndrome or Autism
With these populations, there often is a tendency for them to wander, and there is nothing more worrisome than realizing a loved one has wandered from their home and has gotten lost.
We want to inspire self-reliance to these groups of individuals by helping them find their own way back home via our easy-to-use app interface.
Personal Information Tab
Name
Age
Home Address
Emergency Contact Information
Back-Tracking Function
Stores previous locations which can be used to show the user how to retrace their steps to return to a familiar place
Currently, there are no mobile applications on the U.S. market to our knowledge that integrates Augmented Reality into GPS functions.
Showing directions as arrows painted directly in the real world provides a familiarity for the user that is not currently found in other applications.
There are ankle bracelets that dementia patients wear to allow family members to ping their location via GPS, but this limits the autonomy of individuals with dementia.
Current GPS mobile applications such as GoogleMaps or Waze can often be very complicated for younger children or individuals with cognitive impairments who may have difficulty understanding a sense of direction. This app would simplify the navigation process.