Section 1. Project Overview

Section

Details

Problem Description and Software Solution

Navigating large university campuses can often be confusing for new students and visitors, especially when trying to locate specific buildings, services, or offices. Traditional maps and signage are static, limited in interactivity, and often outdated. This lack of dynamic orientation tools can create frustration and reduce engagement with the campus environment. SpectRA addresses this challenge by proposing a mobile augmented reality (AR) solution that transforms the way people explore and understand the university campus. The software allows users to point their mobile device's camera at physical structures to reveal interactive 3D models and informative overlays in real time. These digital elements may include names, historical context, office hours, service availability, and links to additional content. This immersive experience not only improves wayfinding and access to information, but also enhances the sense of connection with the institution. By merging physical reality with digital augmentation, SpectRA creates a smarter, more engaging campus tour experience that aligns with modern expectations of interactivity and accessibility.

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Team Members and Roles

Name	Institutional Email	Role(s)
Jean Carlo Londoño Ocampo	[email protected]	Scrum Master & Architect
Alejandro Garcés Ramírez	[email protected]	Developer
Tomás Londoño Lopera	[email protected]	Developer
Emanuel Gonzales Quintero	[email protected]	Product Designer & Tester
Daniel Zapata Acevedo	[email protected]	UX Designer

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Target Audience and System Context

Target Users

The main users who will interact with the system include:

• New Students: First-time visitors and freshmen who are unfamiliar with the campus and need help locating classrooms, offices, or service points.
• Visitors and Tour Groups: External individuals attending events, open house days, or guided tours who can benefit from interactive navigation and informative overlays.
• University Staff and Administrators: Personnel interested in showcasing campus spaces, facilities, and institutional information in an innovative and accessible way.
• Prospective Students: High school graduates and potential applicants who want to explore the campus before enrollment.

System Context

SpectRA will interact with the following software and hardware components:

Hardware:

• Mobile devices (smartphones or tablets) with camera access and internet connectivity.
• Optional: University-installed AR markers or signs to assist with physical space recognition (if needed).

Software:

• Mobile Operating Systems: Android and iOS
• AR Development Platform: Unity + AR Foundation (or alternative AR SDKs like Vuforia or ARCore/ARKit)
• Backend: Cloud-based database for dynamic content management (e.g., Firebase, Supabase, or custom backend)
• API services (optional): For geolocation, analytics, or push notifications

Context Diagram

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Interaction Process Description

The SpectRA system will serve multiple types of users, each with a slightly different interaction process. Below is a description of how each user type interacts with the system:

New Students

Goal: Explore the campus and locate specific buildings or services.

1. Open the SpectRA mobile application.
2. Grant camera and location permissions.
3. Point the device at a building or area within the campus.
4. The AR system recognizes the structure.
5. 3D model and overlays are displayed, showing:
   • Building name
   • Services inside
   • Schedule and historical data
6. User interacts with buttons or icons to expand information.
7. Follow directional AR arrows to navigate to another location.

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Visitors / Tour Participants

Goal: Receive an informative, immersive campus tour.

1. Launch SpectRA app during a guided or self-guided tour.
2. Scan markers or point camera at buildings.
3. Access basic info overlays, photos, and links.
4. View rich media like animations or videos related to the university.
5. Use the app’s navigation assistant to move through different tour points.

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University Staff & Administrators

Goal: Review or manage educational/administrative spaces through AR.

1. Use the SpectRA app in admin mode (future feature).
2. Scan building to verify current info and overlays.
3. Access extended metadata (maintenance info, room booking, etc.).
4. Optionally contribute content updates to CMS through a web portal.

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Prospective Students

Goal: Learn about the campus environment before enrolling.

1. Download SpectRA from a promotional site or QR code.
2. Use the app in "remote exploration" mode (planned feature).
3. Browse 3D models of campus buildings.
4. Tap to reveal programs offered, testimonials, or video tours.

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Glossary of Terms

Term	Definition
Augmented Reality (AR)	A technology that overlays digital content (such as images, 3D models, or information) onto the physical world through a device's camera.
SpectRA	The name of the project. It stands for an immersive AR-based guide system designed to enhance the campus experience for students and visitors.
3D Model	A digital representation of a physical object or space, used in SpectRA to represent buildings or structures on campus.
Overlay	Visual elements (e.g., labels, icons, animations) superimposed on the camera view to provide additional context or information.
CMS (Content Management System)	A backend platform that allows for the management, organization, and dynamic delivery of digital content to the SpectRA application.
Geolocation	The process of determining a device’s physical location using GPS or other location-based services.
AR Marker	A visual or spatial reference (like a QR code or image) used to help the AR system recognize and align digital content with the physical world.
Unity	A cross-platform game engine used for developing 2D and 3D applications, including AR experiences.
User Experience (UX)	The overall experience and satisfaction a user has when interacting with the application, including its usability and design.
Mobile Device Sensors	Hardware components such as the camera, accelerometer, and gyroscope that enable AR interactions by detecting motion and orientation.

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Section 2. Needs Determination

2.1 Functional Requirements

To determine the main functional requirements of the SpectRA system, the following activities and documentation were carried out.

2.1.1 Requirements Elicitation Techniques

1. Stakeholder Analysis: Identification of different user types (new students, visitors, university staff).
2. Use Cases: Definition of interaction scenarios for each user type.
3. Context Analysis: Evaluation of the technological ecosystem and constraints of the university environment.
4. Benchmarking: Review of existing educational AR applications to extract best practices.

2.1.2 Participants

• Scrum Master & Architect: Jean Carlo Londoño Ocampo
• Developers: Alejandro Garcés Ramírez, Tomás Londoño Lopera
• Design & Testing: Emanuel Gonzales Quintero
• UX Designer: Daniel Zapata Acevedo

2.1.3 Elicitation Timeline

• Week 1: Stakeholder identification and initial definition of needs, followed by drafting of use cases.
• Week 2: Team validation, review, and prioritization of requirements.

2.1.4 Attached Evidence

• Target user analysis (Section 1).
• System context diagrams.
• Interaction processes by user type.
• Glossary of technical terms.

2.1.5 Identified Functional Requirements

RF-01: AR Recognition and Visualization

ID	Name	Description	Priority	Acceptance Criteria
RF-01.1	Building Recognition	The system must recognize campus buildings through the device camera	High	• Accuracy >90%• Recognition time <3s
RF-01.2	3D Model Visualization	The system must overlay interactive 3D models on recognized buildings	High	• Real-time rendering• Frame rate >24 FPS
RF-01.3	Informative Overlays	The system must display contextual information about the building	High	• Clear and legible information• Dynamic content

RF-02: Content and Information Management

ID	Name	Description	Priority	Acceptance Criteria
RF-02.1	Building Information	The system must display basic information about each building (name, services, schedules)	High	• Up-to-date information• Structured format
RF-02.2	Historical Content	The system must provide historical context for relevant buildings	Medium	• Verified data• Multimedia presentation
RF-02.3	Services and Schedules	The system must display available services and operating hours	High	• Current service status• Visible schedules

RF-03: Navigation and Wayfinding

ID	Name	Description	Priority	Acceptance Criteria
RF-03.1	AR Directional Arrows	The system must display AR arrows to guide the user	High	• Accurate directions• Real-time updates
RF-03.3	Points of Interest	The system must mark relevant points of interest	Medium	• Categorized POIs• Basic information available

RF-04: User and Profile Management

ID	Name	Description	Priority	Acceptance Criteria
RF-04.1	Guest Mode	The system must work without registration for visitors	High	• Immediate access• Basic features available
RF-04.2	User Profiles	The system must allow different profiles (student, visitor, staff)	Medium	• Profile-adapted content• Saved preferences
RF-04.3	Admin Mode	The system must include features for administrative staff	Low	• Content verification• Access to usage metrics

RF-05: Multimedia Content and Interactivity

ID	Name	Description	Priority	Acceptance Criteria
RF-05.1	Multimedia Gallery	The system must display photos and videos related to each location	Medium	• Support for common formats• Optimized loading
RF-05.2	External Links	The system must provide links to additional resources	Medium	• Active links• Opens in integrated browser

2.1.6 Executive Summary

Category	Total RF	High	Medium	Low
AR Recognition	3	3	0	0
Content Management	3	2	1	0
Navigation	2	1	1	0
User Management	3	1	1	1
Multimedia	2	0	2	0
TOTAL	13	7	5	1

2.2 Exploration of Background Applications

To better understand the implementation possibilities and differentiate SpectRA from existing solutions, we analyzed three AR-based applications in the educational and touristic domain. These applications offer features similar to those intended in our system and serve as references for best practices and innovation gaps.

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2.2.1 1. ARitize™ Tour Guide (by NexTech AR)

• Screenshots:

• Key Features:

  • Augmented reality for location-based tours.
  • 3D models overlayed on real-world spaces.
  • Interactive points of interest (POIs) and guided navigation.

• Differentiating Factor: While ARitize focuses on commercial and cultural tourism (museums, historic sites), SpectRA adapts this concept to academic settings, enhancing the university onboarding experience for new students and staff with tailored academic content.

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2.2.2 2. Assemblr EDU

• Screenshots:

• Key Features:

  • Educational AR experiences.
  • Multimedia content embedding (text, video, quizzes).
  • User-friendly content creation for educators.

• Differentiating Factor: Assemblr focuses on in-classroom educational content delivery, while SpectRA applies AR for outdoor, real-world navigation and contextual discovery of institutional resources.

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2.2.3 3. Just a Line (by Google)

• Screenshots:

• Key Features:

  • Simple AR drawing tool.
  • Real-time collaboration.
  • Spatial tracking for mobile AR.

• Differentiating Factor: Although Just a Line is minimalist, its real-time spatial anchoring inspired the design of SpectRA's AR directional arrows and point markers, repurposed for campus navigation rather than freeform AR sketching.

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Summary Table

App Name	Type	Shared Features	SpectRA’s Unique Element
ARitize Tour Guide	Tourism / Guide	AR POIs, 3D models, guided navigation	Academic context, onboarding for students
Assemblr EDU	Educational Platform	Multimedia, interactivity, AR content	Outdoor campus use, not just classroom learning
Just a Line	Experimental AR	Real-time AR overlays and spatial sync	Functional AR arrows and markers for wayfinding

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Section 3. User Story Mapping and Backlog Product

User Story Mapping

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Section 4. Architecture Design

4.1 System Architecture Design – Scope

The scope of the architecture design for the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is focused on delivering a functional, interactive, and immersive augmented reality experience for campus visitors and students. While the complete solution envisions a fully integrated platform with personalized user journeys, real-time analytics, multilingual support, and institution-wide scalability, the MVP will include the following key features:

In-Scope (MVP Features)

• Mobile application with AR-based building recognition.

• Visualization of 3D models over recognized campus buildings.

• Display of basic information such as building name, description, and key services.

• RESTful backend service for managing content and serving client requests.

• User profile creation and basic session management.

• Admin panel for content updates (limited to web interface for managing building data).

Out-of-Scope (Deferred for Future Iterations)

• Advanced personalization based on user type (e.g., student, staff, visitor).

• Indoor navigation and AR wayfinding features.

• Integration with institutional systems (e.g., academic schedules, event calendars).

• Real-time usage analytics and heatmaps.

• Push notifications and in-app messaging.

• Full multilingual support.

• Support for iOS platform (initial focus on Android).

By limiting the MVP to the above scope, the project aims to deliver a focused and testable solution that validates the core AR experience, while laying a scalable foundation for future development.

4.2 System Dimensions and Non-Functional Requirements

Metric	Description
Concurrent Users	Up to 100 users simultaneously during peak campus hours.
Daily Active Users (DAU)	Estimated 250 users per day (visitors, students, and staff combined).
Requests per Second (RPS)	Average: 10–15 RPS; Peak capacity: up to 50 RPS.
Maximum Response Time	4 seconds for AR content retrieval.
Data Volume	~1GB of storage for 3D models and metadata.
Mobile App Size	APK size must not exceed 250 MB.

Category	Requirement
Performance	- 95% of requests must respond in under 4 seconds.- Cloud scaling supported.
Usability	- Intuitive interface for all users.- Supports guided and free exploration.
Security	- Firebase Authentication.- RBAC for admin panel.- HTTPS enforced.
Availability	- 99.5% uptime SLA.- Daily data backups.
Accessibility	- WCAG 2.1 AA compliant (where applicable).- Optional audio/captions.
Maintainability	- Modular microservices.- Documented APIs and architecture.
Portability	- Android-focused MVP.- Dockerized backend for cross-environment support.

4.3 Domaing Modeling

Entity	Description
User	Represents the person interacting with the AR app (student, visitor, staff).
ARContent	3D models or media that represent university buildings or places.
Location	Physical point within the campus where AR content is triggered.
Session	Tracks a user's interaction with the AR experience.
Admin	User with permissions to manage AR content and system settings.
Feedback	Optional reviews or comments users can leave about the AR experience.

4.4 Component Description

Description of System Components

Component	Description	Technologies
User Interface	Front-end interface that allows users to interact with the AR experience.	Unity UI Toolkit, Unity XR Interaction Toolkit
AR Engine	Core module responsible for rendering AR objects and interactions.	Unity AR Foundation, ARCore (Android), ARKit (iOS)
Data Layer	Responsible for storing and retrieving relevant information for the AR content.	Firebase Realtime Database or Firebase Firestore
Authentication	Manages user authentication and session control.	Firebase Authentication
Content Manager	Loads and organizes the 3D models, textual data, or multimedia linked to physical locations or objects.	Unity Asset Management, Firebase Storage
Location Service	Provides geolocation or QR code scanning to trigger specific AR content.	Unity GPS Plugins or QR Code Scanner libraries
Analytics Module	Collects usage data for improvement and evaluation.	Firebase Analytics
Deployment Layer	Facilitates application build and deployment to supported platforms.	Unity Build System (Android, iOS), Google Play Console, Xcode

Notes:

• All components will be developed using Unity as the primary framework.
• Firebase services will handle backend needs without requiring complex server-side development.
• Additional packages and plugins will be chosen to keep complexity low and integration simple.

4.5 System Components Diagram

Design Justification

The proposed architecture for the SpectRA system adopts a mobile-first, cloud-integrated design optimized for real-time augmented reality experiences. The solution consists of three main containers: the SpectRA Mobile App, Firebase Cloud, and Google ARCore Services.

1. Mobile Client (SpectRA Mobile App)

Built with Unity Engine and AR Foundation, the mobile client runs on Android devices and serves as the primary user interface for all interactions. It incorporates:

Languages: C# for Unity scripting and Java/Kotlin for Android-specific integrations.

Package Management: Unity Package Manager (UPM) for structured dependency management.

Framework & Libraries: Firebase SDK for backend communication, TextMeshPro for enhanced UI text rendering, and ARCore SDK for device tracking and AR visualization.

Modules:

ar_module – Handles AR recognition, rendering of 3D models, and overlay placement.

content_module – Manages retrieval and display of building information, historical data, and media assets.

auth_module – Provides authentication and role-based content access.

2. Firebase Cloud (Backend and Storage)

Hosted on Google’s cloud infrastructure, Firebase provides a scalable, secure, and low-latency backend:

Firestore Database stores structured entities:

USER – Profile data, preferences, and roles.

BUILDING – Main campus structures with metadata.

POI – Points of Interest for navigation and AR markers.

HISTORICAL_CONTENT – Verified historical information linked to locations.

MEDIA_ASSET – Images, videos, and multimedia content for AR overlays.

Firebase Storage optimizes media delivery to ensure smooth performance.

3. Google ARCore Services (External Service)

Provides device-level AR tracking, environmental understanding, and camera pose estimation. Integration with ARCore ensures high-accuracy recognition and stable AR overlays across a wide range of Android devices.

4. Alignment with Non-Functional Requirements

Security: All communications use HTTPS, with Firebase Authentication for secure and role-based access.

**Performance: **AR rendering at >24 FPS, recognition time under 3 seconds, and minimal latency for database queries.

Usability: Clear UI elements with TextMeshPro, intuitive AR interactions, and real-time feedback.

Scalability: Firebase automatically adjusts to varying user loads without manual infrastructure management.

Maintainability: Modular Unity project structure with UPM dependency management allows easy updates and testing.

By combining a lightweight, modular mobile client with a serverless, scalable backend and ARCore’s high-precision tracking, this architecture ensures that SpectRA delivers an immersive, responsive, and reliable AR experience aligned with both functional and non-functional requirements.

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Section 5. Interface Design

Test Case: Building exploration using augmented reality

Field	Description
ID	TC-001
Name	Display building information with AR camera
Module	AR Scanning
Objective	Verify that the system correctly recognizes a building and displays its information when scanned using the camera.
Preconditions	- The user is logged into the app - The device camera has permissions enabled - The building is registered in the system’s catalog
Inputs	The user points the phone camera at Building 19 (physical structure).
Steps	1. Open the app and log in. 2. Tap the “EXPLORE” button. 3. Point the camera at Building 19. 4. Wait for the AR overlay to appear.
Expected Result	The app recognizes the building and displays an overlay with: - Building name: “Building 19 - Engineering” - Opening hours: “Monday to Friday, 6 am - 9 pm” - Short history - Optional: a button for more details
Actual Result	(To be filled in after executing the test)
Postconditions	The app continues to show contextual information as long as the building remains in focus.