Sogou is adding augmented reality and driver assistance features to their mobile app, used by more than 300 million people in China. Here is a preview of the new navigation experience from testing the Vision SDK on the roads of Beijing.

Using Vision’s AR features, Sogou is projecting 3D turn-by-turn directions from their navigation engine onto the road ahead. The Vision SDK automatically calibrates the camera as you drive, aligning AR features without needing any input from the driver. Sogou’s UX has a thumbnail of the standard 2D map that adjusts zoom based on vehicle speed, along with spoken directions. The app combines the Vision SDK’s lane detection information with their lane-level maps to give users a heads up about necessary maneuvers coming up.

Sogou has also implemented driver assistance features to improve user experience. In the bottom-left corner of the screen, they track the local speed limit and compare it to the estimated current speed of the vehicle, enabling speeding alerts for drivers. The Vision SDK’s sign classification layer can be used to further enhance this functionality by detecting dynamic or recently changed speed limits, as well as other important sign types, such as construction or turn restrictions.

We’re thrilled by what Sogou has been able to build in just a few days. To learn how to get started with Vision, check out our documentation pages for iOS and Android.

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