Wayfinding Kiosks are Part of Renovating a Mall

January 4, 2018

Harbour placed shopping mall Nautica has got a new name and a new look. After rebuilding the shopping mall, two wayfinding kiosks were also placed. Although the mall is not large, the wayfinding feature is really important for them.

Nautica-kaubanduskeskus

Nautica mall in Tallinn, Estonia reopened in the end of 2017. It has only about 60 shops but wayfinding kiosks are more important than ever after the renovations. Old shops are in new places, new shops have been advertised but neither the old or new clients know where to find them.

In Nautica things are made even more difficult. Because a new floor was added and most of the restaurants, ATM-s and bathrooms are placed there.

Kiosks in Nautica are simple and practical. They don’t take a lots of room and their slanted design indicates immediately that the screen. Even though it might have an advertisement as a screensaver – is meant for customers to use.

nautica_wf_kiosk

Kiosks are conveniently placed by the doors of the two main entrances. These are the first things that every customer sees when they enter. Placement like this makes it easy for visitors to notice. They don’t need to start looking for maps or signs when they are not sure where they should go.

It is also practical because it’s more likely for the visitor to take notice of the kiosk right after entering than in the middle of the busy mall. So when they need to use it later, it’s easier for them to remember where to find it.

nautica_kiosk

The design for the new template was provided by the mall. We only needed to bring it into reality. They wanted a stylish and simple look with clear and easy to use interface. They also wanted to have all the shop names displayed on default screensaver, slowly rolling by on the screen. This animation with shop logos also works on map view. If the customer hasn’t touched the screen for a little while.

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Installing iBeacons is Easy

November 14, 2017

We have finished installation of approximately 250 iBeacons for mobile app positioning. Although the installation process is easy. There are some tricks and common practises to follow, when setting up iBeacon based indoor positioning.

iBeacons installation

iBeacons are cost effective indoor positioning devices, that are really easy to install. As each iBeacon has it’s own battery, that can last about a year, then there is no need for external power supply. Devices are very light, so it is possible to mount them by using double-sided tape.

Even though the installation of one iBeacon is a simple matter. Overall installation process can be quite long and somewhat physically exhausting due to the constant climbing up and down the ladder/platform.

At first glance it might seem that the device will disrupt the look of the building. But, as we can see from the image below, if you take into consideration the overall theme and look of the building during choosing of the device, it merges into the plethora of different sensors and equipment covering the ceiling.

Installing iBeacons

Before installing devices. It is important to mark down the specifications for each iBeacon device. Each iBeacon has it’s parameters: unique ID, name and range.

It is also a good practice to mark the iBeacons. So that you know you’re installing the correct device to the correct location. For this we used a label printer.

iBeacon

Plan before iBeacons installing

It is good to have a plan before physical installation. We used the map of the building to first draw a layout of the placement of the devices and their coverage area. It is a common practice to have a minimum of 3 iBeacons covering any part of the mappable area for the navigation to work efficiently.

iBeacon coverage map

Configuring iBeacons in 3D Wayfinder is also easy. Just create a node with type “iBeacon” and enter iBeacon parameters (UUID, Name etc.). To manage all the devices from one place, open “Beacons” from the left-side menu. You can do this prior to the actual installation when you are confident that your layout will work.

iBeacon management

It is highly recommended to install the iBeacons to a height unreachable for the visitors of the building, so no one could easily snatch them. We installed the devices onto the ceiling. For this we used a painters platform that had wheels on them so it is easy to move it around the building. We recommend setting the platform to a height so the person installing the devices could stand up straight and then reach the ceiling without having to stretch too much.

Good time to install iBeacons in a shopping mall is when there are not that many people.

Here you can find more information about using iBeacons with 3D Wayfinder. If you’d like to test iBeacon-based positioning, please submit the request form for demo iBeacons.

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Welcome Screen for Wayfinding Application and Changing Farme-Rate for FRAK

June 8, 2015

Some of our customers prefer a “Welcome” screen for their wayfinding application. Welcome screens are good way for inviting visitors to use wayfinding, it is also a page where you can show advertisements or welcome text. To minimize the load for kiosks we change the frame-rate of our WebGL rendering engine FRAK. 

wayfinding_welcome_screen

Welcome page is configur as an idle-page, when no one is using wayfinding. Usually it is set to 10+ seconds after idle time, when the welcome screen is displayed. On this view, we are hiding wayfinder map component and directory. When visitor starts to use wayfinding, then welcome screen close and floor plans with directory are activate. Certainly, the welcome screen is also helpful for customers to understand what the screen is about. Also a great way to advertise for businesses located in the mall.

To save the kiosk pc and graphics card (GPU) we set the 3D rendering (see FRAK WebGL engine) also idle. This is important for limiting the frame-rate to a minimum. Frame rate change can be invoke with Engine.startIdle(fps) and return to normal operation with Engine.stopIdle(). See 3D Wayfinder API for specific documentation.

We have also fixed a bug in SmoothOrbitController that made animations oscillate on very low frame rates.

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3D Wayfinder Redesigned Website Launched

February 17, 2014

We are proud to announce the release of our newly redesigned website which goes live today 17.02.2014. It is located at the same address www.3dwayfinder.com. New website is more modern and user-friendly. Improved and re-designed landing page welcomes visitors with clean exquisite design. With featured content focused on providing our clients and partners the most accurate product information. You will immediately notice simple navigation options. Also easy access to information that is important. The website will be updated on regular basis with news, events, product updates and other new contents.

We hope You will like and enjoy the new website. Also we would very flattered if You will stop by at the new site.

If You have any suggestions on how we could make the website even better, don’t hesitate to share it with us by clicking here.

Wayfinder

3D Wayfinder MobileNew website includes many improvements and new features. Some of the most important ones are listed below:

  • Improved navigation.
  • Precise overview of kiosk, mobile and web application.
  • Overview of different maps (3D, semi 3D and 2D).
  • Technical information.
  • Categorized resellers and their contact details.
  • New design is fully responsive. Which means You can now enjoy all of the content on mobile phones and tablets.

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

December 19, 2013

joulD

The whole team of 3D Technologies R&D wishes You a merry christmas and a happy new year.

We will put additional effort into developing the software. All for better service and satisfaction for a user.

Just last year we could read that WebGL and HTML5 are not very well supported on mobile devices and have a long way to go. First tests showed that with a low polygon cont it was still lagging and mobile devices crashed often. Now things have changed and there has been a great leap forward – WebGL has started to mature and stabilize.

The mobile Internet speed is increasing every year and application downloading time is shortening. Telecommunications company EE announced recently that it has switched on the world’s fastest 4G network in East London which is capable of reaching speeds of up to 300Mbps. The fast mobile internet connection allows to download and use applications or online services faster and more conveniently.

Devices are becoming more and more powerful – each year more improved and advanced mobile processors roll out. For example MediaTek recently announced the MT6592, a mobile processor that includes eight cores with each capable of running at speeds up to 2GHz. It is the world’s first heterogeneous computing System on a Chip with scalable eight-core processing for superior multi-tasking. Fully functional WebGL on mobile devices is already here and we think that in few years or even less it will reach wider audiences. A prerequisite for this is of course technology’s lower prices and the increase of mobile internet speed.Here is the screenshot of the very first test of 3D Wayfinder WebGL on mobile device (Nexus 5):

If you want to be sure that your mobile device browser support WebGL then just click here. You can also check this summary table where is detailed data almost every desktop and mobile browser WebGL support.

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Why Consider Mobile Indoor Wayfinding?

November 19, 2013

According to Google, self-service is becoming the new norm – 1 in 3 shoppers use their smartphones to find information instead of asking the store employees. 74% of adult smartphone owners aged 18 and older say that they use their phones to get directions or other information based on their current location. (Source: Pew Internet)

Way finding outdoors is easy, because there are so many different navigation softwares guided by the GPS. But people also need an indoor wayfinding solution because buildings nowadays have become very complicated. There is a great need for a simple indoor wayfinding solution for mobile devices. Therefore we offer 3D Wayfinder mobile app for Android and iOS. Soon it will be available on Windows Phone as well. It helps people to navigate indoors and get the latest deals. It is a tool for retailers to advertise their brand or product on the map. The solution has many benefits:

mobile-4

  • Instant updates – building owners can provide the latest maps and directions for the audience using Content Management System;

  • Additional services – integration with social media channels or other solutions;

  • Happy customers – personal wayfinding system and instant directions for everyone;

  • Powerful e-commerce tool – tenants can promote their shops and products.

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October 2013 Newsletter

October 4, 2013

We are pleased to announce that we have made ​​significant progress in the development of a WebGL version of 3D Wayfinder. We are planning to implement it in Atrium shopping center in Russia. WebGL and the power of HTML5 gives new cool designing opportunities for upcoming projects.

Our partner, Akzia Apps has created a super-awesome design. In the near future we will offer You this exclusive chance to be one of the first who gets a glimpse of this cool project. We plan to create all our future projects in WebGL to provide better user experience.

3D Wayfinder does not mean 3-dimensional buidling directory

The whole 3D Technologies R&D team is putting a lot of energy into product development to provide better navigation (wayfinding) for our existing and future partners. We are devoting a lot of time into innovating and testing new solutions. Our team is convinced that the best solutions grow out from engaging in dialogue with users of our products.

Our latest customer surveys revealed that there is also a market for more simpler version of 3D Wayfinder for smaller buildings with smaller budgets. We already receive requests for such solutions and hopefully first one will realize soon.

2Dmap-LK

Maximize ROI

Advertising on smartphones and tablets has shown rising trends in the world and it is becoming more important information channel. 3D Wayfinder is an excellent channel for advertising to reach all user groups. It enables to advertise on all three platforms kiosk, mobile and web, which makes the solution an effective e-commerce channel.

Mobile & Web version

To meet the needs of our customers we have launched a mobile version for Android and iOS users. Windows Phone users can expect the mobile app soon. It has all the basic functions – search, deals, map etc. The building map is 2D so it could work smoothly and simply on most smartphones and tablets. The map is converted from 3D to 2D, to preserve its preciseness and to automate the process of updating. Exactly the same content that is in the kiosk and web version. All managed from one CMS. Mobile offer even more possibilities to integrate different custom solutions like social networks, loyal customer schemes, timetables and other useful features.

You can download the mobile app from your app store by searching “Lounakeskus” or, simply just scan the QR code below.

qrcode_256

If you wish to see the web directory in action then visit Lõunakeskus website (South Center).

We would appreciate any feedback, so if You have any questions, recommendations or desire for cooperation, just let us know.

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3D Wayfinder at Rock IT Con

August 27, 2013

3D Technologies R&D presented it’s 3D Wayfinder software at Rock IT Con 2013 fair from 24-25 of August. It was a first time event specialized on bringing together IT companies from Russia and Estonia. Our software got a lot of attraction by many companies and also by visitors from the street. We had a good opportunity to present some of our projects on our partners ML Novator’s kiosk.

3D Wayfinder @ Rock IT
3D Wayfinder @ Rock IT

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