Mirrormap: augmenting 2d mobile maps with virtual mirrors

In this paper, we describe our MirrorMap system, a 2D mobile map system that is augmented with live videos. In most major modern cities, traffic cameras and publicly accessible webcams are in abundance. These cameras provide live coverage of given city and are often positioned such that they have superior views of the scene. As such, it would be beneficial if a person who is wayfinding could have access to these video feeds, to acquire greater information about the area as they are route planning. Moreover, it would be beneficial if the system could provide the video feeds in a natural and familiar way that maintains the spatial relationships between the position of the corresponding camera and the person. We adopt a method called Virtual Mirroring. For each camera source, we place a virtual mirror in its stead. The mirror reflects the feed from the camera, and what results is the appearance that there are mirrors located in the position of the cameras. Akin to the well placed mirrors in convenience stores that provide shopkeepers with views of aisles he or she would not normally be able to see from the cash register, the user can point her (or his) mobile device in the direction of the source camera and see the virtual mirrors that are displaying the video feed. By so doing, the user can see additional views of the environment she would not normally be able to see from where she is standing. This additional information can inform her route planning.