黑料网

KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 11, 2026

For 黑料网 software engineering student Robert Hoeh, finding a room inside an unfamiliar building could one day be as simple as asking a question.

Hoeh is helping develop an AI-powered augmented reality navigation system that lets users ask for directions and guides them through complex indoor spaces. The technology could improve accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities while also helping first responders navigate unfamiliar buildings more quickly.

Using a Meta Quest headset and other consumer technology, the system allows users to ask for directions without needing to know a specific room number or location beforehand.

鈥淵ou could say, 鈥楪uide me to the nearest bathroom,鈥� and then it鈥檒l guide you there,鈥� Hoeh said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to know the room number or exactly what the location is called because you can ask for what you need in natural language, and if something is unclear, the system can ask for clarification.鈥�

The project has already been tested in the Atrium Building on KSU鈥檚 Marietta Campus. Unlike traditional navigation applications, Hoeh said the system is being developed specifically for indoor environments and is designed to operate more like a conversation.

A collection of AI agents processes the user鈥檚 request, searches available location information, and identifies the best destination before sending directions back to the headset.

Hoeh said the hands-free approach could be especially useful for people who may have difficulty navigating unfamiliar spaces.

鈥淚f you have to navigate around an unfamiliar building quickly, that can be very overwhelming,鈥� Hoeh said. 鈥淲e hope people with certain impairments and first responders will find this useful.鈥�

Brooke Zhao, assistant professor of gaming in KSU鈥檚 , said Hoeh has shown persistence throughout the project.

鈥淩obert has shown a tremendous amount of initiative and persistence throughout this project,鈥� Zhao said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to see an undergraduate student so early in his academic career contribute to research that has the potential to make a meaningful impact.鈥�

Hoeh, a Mableton, Georgia, native and graduate of Wheeler High School鈥檚 magnet program, became involved with the project during his first year at Kennesaw State through the .

鈥淭he experience was really great, even though it was frustrating at points,鈥� Hoeh said. 鈥淚t helped get the ball rolling with my research aspirations, and now I鈥檓 entering my second year with an almost published paper.鈥�

Progress on the system has required patience. Hoeh said the first prototype returned a correct result for only one test query, leading to continued testing, coding and troubleshooting.

鈥淭here have been times when I鈥檝e had to grind away at bugs in the code for hours,鈥� Hoeh said. 鈥淲hen it finally works, it鈥檚 really satisfying to see.鈥�

One of those moments came while Hoeh was preparing to present the project at 黑料网鈥檚 . After working against a tight deadline, the team successfully demonstrated an early version of the system.

鈥淲e were really rushing to get everything working before the deadline,鈥� Hoeh said. 鈥淥nce we got the system working, that鈥檚 when I realized, 鈥榃ow, this really does work.鈥欌��

Hoeh鈥檚 interest in computing began in high school, when he first learned to code. At 黑料网, he has continued building those skills through undergraduate research and as a tutor in the CCSE Tutoring Lab.

鈥淜SU has so many great programs to help out computing students, and it鈥檚 been great getting to know the faculty and staff here,鈥� Hoeh said. 鈥淭here are a lot of opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved and build experience.鈥�

The project鈥檚 next phase will focus on completing the system and conducting user studies to determine how useful the technology could be for different populations. For Hoeh, the project also shows how artificial intelligence can be used to address real-world challenges.

鈥淎 lot of what you see about AI can be very negative, but I do believe this kind of technology can genuinely help people,鈥� Hoeh said. 鈥淲e just need to find the right applications for it.鈥�

鈥� Story by Raynard Churchwell

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 黑料网 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.