Kiosk Software System Development with 3D Maps

About the Client

Location India

Industry Education

The client is one of India’s renowned universities, Gujarat Vidhyapith. They wanted to create a kiosk system in 3d to guide visitors to different locations within the university.

Services we offered

kiosk system development

The Challenge

The client was searching a solution partner, who can deliver something like a standard a social media features. Client was from a technical background so he wanted to select a partner who can deliver using AWS Server-less, React & Python. Perception System being an AWS consulting partner was proved to be an ideal app development company for their requirement.

We have taken a bit different approaches for evaluating the requirements. We gave a distinct questionnaire for this project to understand the persona in the user research stage. We have run a survey and segregate various relevant features and ask the client to select the most appropriate ones. Our team then took the design thinking approach to serve the user research for the web application.

Storybook

The client wants to provide a central place for Lugelo users to share their experiences with the brand or personal experiences using storytelling techniques in a storybook.

A story can contain multiple moments to it with an image, video, text, document or an audio.

A user can invite his friends to contribute on this story. Eg. a company’s employee is making story of picnic days with friends so he invites his colleagues to add their words & media in different moment.

Timeline

The client was a world-famous institute named Gujarat Vidhyapith. We already had developed the 2D Way Finder kiosks before two years, which were functioning at the main and departmental entrances of the education campus. Mainly kiosks located within waiting area for the external visitor. In old kiosks, 2D Map loaded with 2D features. Recently, we had demonstrated the updated technologies with 3D Maps and 3D features for new 3D Way Finder to enhance the user experiences at a new level.

Project Scope

We personally visited the premise of client and inspected the lacunae of existing old 2D kiosks. Our team has run a guerilla survey of the top level management team, working staff, and some visitors there. After a brief analysis, we have presented a roadmap for the inclusion of following features and functionality.

Features

3D Rendered Map with 3D objects, street view, and direction with exclusive 3D experiences.

Users can view the same path in 2D as well as 3D street views.

2D and 3D floor maps for interior navigation.

Comprehensive navigation with prominent buttons and standard UI elements.

Support for local languages renders it multilingual software.

Functionality

The user can know the present location.

Search by the name of place/department.

Search by person’s name.

Users can view different departments of each floor.

Users can view events and promotional banners in the kiosk.

The client selected Perception System as its standalone software development partner considering it as an established and impeccable team of software developers with the rich and successful portfolio. Our software development team applied standard research and analysis strategies and methodologies to deal with the software design and development project for kiosks.

Analysis

Kiosk development project was specifically for an education campus with a large premise consists of numeral buildings with multiple floors. All buildings allocated to different departments with offices and classrooms. We have found out exact needs of client-side by running a guerrilla UX survey and applied the latest research and analysis methods to turn requirements into technical modules.

Project Planning

Based on finding in research and analysis, we have prepared project development plans in co-ordination with software and hardware teams.

Project Architecture

Software architectures at Perception System have defined the hardware and software architecture for the way finder kiosk at Gujarat Vidhyapith education campus.

Wireframe & Prototypes

Based on software design and development plans as well as architecture, our software designers have prepared wireframes and prototypes with all possible options. We handover interactive prototypes of kiosk software to the client-side team for final approval.

Designing & Programming

After getting a final node of approval from the client for prototypes, we have started final designing of the interface, UI elements, and various modules with required coding for interactions and integrations. We tested the modules on each stage and completion of each milestone.

Deployment

After successful testing in the lab, we have deployed the kiosk software, and hardware integrations carried out at education campus of the client. We have demonstrated the features and functionality to the staff at the campus as well as a few selected visitors to know their final feedback.

Solution

Our Journey towards the end-to-end Solution was fascinating enough due to the large size of the campus and involvement of numerous departments as well as heading persons. Creating 3D experiences was a big challenge, and we accomplished beautifully with following noted points.

Going from 2D to 3D

We followed the KANBAN methodology to manage and execute the system. We have listed features of the system as product backlogs and web development carried in a continuous delivery model.

3D Street View

We have adopted BDD approaches to bring collaboration between client-side team across the various branches and web development team along with seamless communications.

Back-End Administrative controls

We broke down the entire development process using WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) methodologies to address almost all requirements of client-organization.

Search by the name of Persons

We have designed a common back-end system by inclusion of all functions and features to address the needs of each domain.

3D Floor View

We have built five front-ends and a back-end using capabilities of WordPress and core PHP as well as APIs integrations.

Events & Promotions

We have committed for long-term support and maintenance with a feasible plan sign up by the client.

Support & Maintenance

We committed long-term support and maintenance with a feasible plan sign up by the client.

Technologies
We Used

We applied the following technologies, frameworks, and tools to meet client expectations.

Android SDK
MySQL
3D Max Studio
Microsoft .Net
KIOX Hardware
Active Directory/LDAP

Results

Milestones & Deliverables

Kiosk is in daily practical use recording every single tap and showing multi-floor & multi-building directions calculated with wayfinding algorithm that generates guidelines based on shortest path and ease of accessibility.

Achievements

This all-in-one solution delivers ultimate flexibility and control to visually relieve the directional hindrance of visitors, guests and new students.

Satisfaction

The client-side team expressed full gratification over the performance of way finder kiosks in their campus. We extended our helping hands for the support and maintenance.