Airbnb AR Map Concept
I wanted to explore some new features to improve the Airbnb experience for both hosts and guests. Given the ever increasing possibilities of augmented reality and new technologies like Google's Tango, Apple's AR kit, combined with geotagging, I thought guests could pin any hard to find object/area and also attach videos/images in augmented reality, instead of writing letters on paper to explain where to find/how to use things.
The camera would detect objects in view once the person stops to walk. Any detected object can then be selected and pinned to the AR Map of the house. If no object is selected, the area would be pinned -like the guest’s bathroom in a big house-
Guests could then find any pinned item by just looking through their camera and being guided to it. They could also see any info/img/video attached to items either on camera view or on the House Manual.
In a near future, say the guest wearing AR contact lenses, could select "Coffee", be guided to its kitchen cupboard and while trying to prepare the first coffee, watch the video attached to the coffee machine -showing how use it- without even needing to keep and look to the phone.
Explaining the place of a first-aid kit or extra towels in a huge house would be both difficult for the host (even if you would have a 2D house map, showing the exact place vertically, say among many cupboards would be impossible) and difficult to find for the guest.
Seeing the amenities list as selectable titles (or pins on AR Map) would also remind the host what info to include. She also could edit the titles or add a new one if not included in listed amenities.
An in-app, digital House Manual could also be translated from host's language to any guest's language.
Some other parts I added to the Manual are;
Contacts, where host can share any type of contact among all the phone or messaging apps installed in his phone, which can serve when guests have no sim cards. It could be both his or someone else’s contact in her list, (For example if host is out of town and someone else will help if needed) These contacts can then be added by the guest just by one tap.
Parking Info, where hosts can show free parking nearby by drawing the areas onto the map.
Emergency Contacts, so that the host remembers to give all the necessary information, especially important for someone in a totally new place not knowing the local language.
And some additions which I think would be helpful are;
When guest is close to home, a notification with directions on map, options to see arrival, parking, self check-in info could be sent. If guest has no internet a SMS could help also. If guest doesn’t give GPS permission it could be sent close to check-in time.
After guest enters in the house a welcome notification with options to view House Manual, Contacts, nearby Airbnb experiences could be sent.
