NRU ('near you')

Abstract

NRU (“near you”) is a new mobile phone application for finding nearby activities. The application displays restaurants, bars, cafes, and so forth close to the user, on a display that updates as the user rotates it and moves it around his or her body, encouraging real-world interaction. This device is a simplified form of augmented reality that works on an existing consumer phone handset, combining location and orientation sensors with a touchscreen interface. In this paper, the authors explain the design of the system and the technologies involved, and share some experiences from the application’s first 6 months in operation.