Hybrid Progressive Web App (PWA) Navigation System for College Campus

Abstract

Large college campuses are often difficult to navigate, especially for new students and visitors. GPS works well outdoors but is unreliable inside buildings. To address this, we developed a Hybrid Progressive Web App (PWA) that combines outdoor GPS navigation with indoor QR-based checkpoint tracking. GPS is used for campus-level guidance, while indoor navigation is performed by scanning QR codes placed at key locations or by manually selecting the current position. Each QR code represents a node in a pre-modeled indoor graph, enabling shortest-path routing using algorithms such as Dijkstra or A*. The system also detects route deviations and automatically recalculates the route when a new location is confirmed. The application supports start/stop navigation sessions and can function offline after initial installation, providing a reliable and scalable solution for campus navigation.