Augmented reality for transport app
The Department of Transport and Main Roads regularly upgrades roads across Queensland, which often involves resuming land from private property owners. This process can be overwhelming and emotional for affected landowners, especially when the communication is limited to technical "plans on a page." The goal of this project was to reimagine how the Department engages with customers during these land resumptions, helping them better understand what the changes would mean for their properties.
In my role as Digital Maturity Manager, I was responsible for identifying the key pain points in the existing process and collaborating with experts to design, build, and test a better customer experience. Partnering with Telstra, Apple, and Auggd, we developed an augmented reality (AR) app for iPad that could show landowners exactly what the resumption would look like across their land.
We piloted the app in Townsville, where land was being resumed along the Bruce Highway. A cane farmer and a mango farmer were among the affected residents. Using the AR app, we were able to visually demonstrate where the road upgrades would occur, how many rows of mango trees would be lost, and how large-scale farming machinery could still access the property, even with the new road rising eight metres in height. For these farmers, the app translated complex engineering into clear, visual information they could understand and act on.
At the time, Apple’s AR platform was still in its early days, and this project became one of the first practical, real-world examples of its application. Apple took a strong interest in the project, ensuring the technology could meet the demands of the experience we were creating.
The app was very well received by customers, offering transparency, clarity, and empathy during what can be a difficult and emotional process. It remains in use today and has evolved to help identify underground pipes and wiring near roads, expanding its value beyond land resumptions and into broader infrastructure planning.
