TrekBip: Find Your Way Without Looking Down

gawonlee
Aug 25
4 min read

Updated: Oct 6

**For the best experience, I recommend viewing this page on at least a tablet or a larger screen. Thank you!

Project introduction

Project title: TrekBip
Timeline: April – August 2025
Total hours: Approx. 3 months

Project type: Mobile App Design
Format & size: iOS – Designed for iPhone 13 & 14
Tools used: Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop

Project overview

TrekBip is a navigation app—not for drivers, but for people who walk, bike, or use micromobility. It helps users move through dense urban spaces without staring at their phones.

The idea came from a personal struggle: I have a poor sense of direction. I walk using navigation apps, yet still get lost. I imagined a wearable device that could guide users through subtle cues like light and vibration.

The app works on its own—no device pairing, no login at launch. It has six sections: Map, Discover, Band, SOS Kit, Settings, and Workout. Each was designed with clarity, ease of use, and user independence in mind. TrekBip began in 2019 as a grad school project. I revisited it in 2024 after completing the Human-Computer Interaction for UX course at MIT CSAIL and earning the Google UX Design Certificate on Coursera.

Bridging the gap for lost walkers

The six slides below are from the original project I worked on with my professor in 2019.

Now it's 2025

Six years have passed. Sensor technology has come a long way—but I still get lost all the time. The reason I imagined a device back in 2019 hasn’t changed, which is why I revisited my early research and decided to build on it again.

The original idea was a wearable device attached to the ankle or clipped onto a shoe. Back then, I didn’t look closely at technical feasibility—battery size, component limitations, or compatibility across different shoe types. Placement was another issue: anything attached near the foot was more vulnerable to shock or damage, and vibration wasn’t an option either. I tested a tiny LED lamp that projected light onto the ground, but it was nearly invisible during the day. The idea simply wasn’t practical.

**Sensor and battery power data references: Bosch Sensortec, STMicroelectronics, ifixit.com, notebookcheck.net

A navigation system that keeps your head up

Note: I didn’t design the physical product. Instead, I explored how existing mobile and wearable technologies can realistically support a better walking navigation experience.

1. More than GPS: real-time feedback you can feel

When walking at speeds under 15 feet per sec, GPS often fails to detect movement, causing glitches. In alleys or forests, the signal weakens and the battery drains quickly. Even when the network drops or GPS becomes inaccurate, TrekBip uses Bluetooth to sync sensor data between devices. Through sensor fusion and map data, it estimates the route.

Example scenario:

A user heads to a nearby park without pre-downloading the map. Deep in the woods, GPS becomes unreliable. At a fork, they stop to read a sign, trip, scrape a knee, and sit on a rock.

TrekBip references recent subtle human motion to infer location: about 20 steps northeast, paused for 30 seconds, now facing southwest.

BipBand detects the fall, heart rate, and stationary state. After confirming it’s not an emergency, it signals a 45-degree turn to the northwest. The user stands up and continues.

2. Clearer than landmarks

Landmarks like storefronts can change or disappear—they aren’t always reliable. TrekBip prioritizes unchanging cues like distance and direction. Landmarks are mentioned only when verified and consistent. Instructions might say, “Walk 80 feet straight. When you see a USPS, make a sharp left.”

3. Screens demand your attention. TrekBip gives it back.

BipBand doesn’t replace your smartwatch—it replaces the urge to keep checking it.

There’s no screen, no notifications, no tapping. Just intuitive cues you feel.

LED signals indicate direction (e.g., four lights on the left wrist = sharp left)

Vibration provides a stronger cue (e.g., long pulse = reroute)

4. A purpose-built tool, not an all-day device

Unlike fitness trackers, BipBand isn’t designed for 24/7 use. It’s meant for intentional navigation—like hikes, travel, or unfamiliar walks.

You set your destination, customize signal settings, and go. When you arrive, you power it off.

Battery life depends on how actively you use feedback. A typical session is estimated to last 5–8 hours. With minimal cues, it may stretch up to 10 hours.

5. Offline, but not basic

This isn’t just offline mapping. It’s offline guidance. Even without a network connection, TrekBip keeps working:

Turn-by-turn instructions and distance to the next turn
Descriptive cues (e.g., “crosswalk ahead”)
LED and vibration signals pre-mapped to each step

Now imagine this:

You’ve just moved to Manhattan—from a car-free Alpine town in Switzerland. Your workplace is a 40-minute walk away. You want to walk or bike, but you have no sense of direction. If you could download every helpful detail for your route—turns, timing, hints, even emergency access points—and it took 1GB, or maybe 2 or 3… would it really matter? For someone who truly struggles with navigation, that kind of preloaded confidence is everything.

UI/UX planning & design kit

Lo-fi planning: sketch to wireframe

Userflow scenario 1: discover & navigation

Goal: the user finds a place of interest and starts navigation, either with or without the BipBand.

Userflow scenario 2: medical info entry & SOS setup

Goal: the user fills in personal medical and care information, sets up emergency contacts and triggers, and prepares the SOS message with optional profile data from the settings page.

Userflow scenario 3: BipBand pairing & workout setup