Events

Instruction manuals are the decrepit bottom feeders in millions of American’s junk drawers. These convoluted guides eagerly await the next time the dishwasher breaks down or the check engine light flicks on. WalkThru aims to end the battle against confusing diagrams and expensive instructions. Walkthru is an iOS app that guides users through all types of processes—from cooking a delicious meal to replacing an air filter—making use of augmented reality. Using the iPhone’s camera, WalkThru recognizes objects relevant to the task at hand, adds arrows indicating how an object should move, displays text that floats with objects, and highlights things on screen. Each WalkThru includes thorough step-by-step instructions ensuring users can complete tasks no matter their experience. WalkThru recognizes photos of critical objects related to the task through the image recognition available in native augmented reality in IOS’ Swift.  For example, to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, WalkThru lists the necessary ingredients, recognizes their image, and highlights each ingredient with a bright color and text. That allows the user to keep track of progress while ensuring quality of completion. While originally designed to replace expensive automotive repair manuals, the powerful image recognition algorithms provided in the iOS Swift environment make WalkThru compatible with almost any step-by-step guide. Future versions of WalkThru will include user accounts and the ability to make and share collections of guides between users. We plan to ensure that user data is protected properly using encryption and ensuring that no passwords are ever stored in plain text. WalkThru has the potential to revolutionize how people use guides, and we hope for it to reach that potential!