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PathLens

PathLens is a visual navigation layer built on top of Google Maps' 3D Photorealistic Tiles and powered by the Gemini API.

Code Video Cerebral Valley

Core trick

Gemini inspects Street View imagery at each sharp turn to name a visible landmark, then anchors the route's turn instruction to it.

Tags

visionaccessibility

Description

PathLens is a visual navigation layer built on top of Google Maps' 3D Photorealistic Tiles and powered by the Gemini API. It replaces flat 2D route lines with an immersive, third-person 3D walkthrough — you see the actual buildings, streets, and landmarks along your route rendered in photorealistic 3D, while an animated character walks the path for you. At every sharp turn, Gemini analyzes the real Street View imagery to identify a recognizable landmark ("turn right at the Shell petrol station"), solving the #1 pain point of pedestrian navigation: knowing exactly where to turn. Why it matters: Text directions like "turn left on Jalan Bukit Merah" fail when you can't see street signs, don't read the local language, or are in an unfamiliar city. PathLens gives you the spatial context that 2D maps can't — you preview the entire route in 3D before you walk it, and every turn is anchored to a real visual landmark you can actually spot on the ground.
KevanSoon/PathLens★ 00 forksTypeScriptCreated Mar 7, 2026 · last push Mar 7, 2026

README excerpt

# PathLens

**PathLens** is a visual navigation layer built on top of Google Maps' 3D Photorealistic Tiles and powered by the Gemini API. It replaces flat 2D route lines with an immersive, third-person 3D walkthrough — you see the actual buildings, streets, and landmarks along your route rendered in photorealistic 3D, while an animated character walks the path for you. At every sharp turn, Gemini analyzes the real Street View imagery to identify a recognizable landmark ("turn right at the Shell petrol station"), solving the #1 pain point of pedestrian navigation: *knowing exactly where to turn*.

**Why it matters:** Text directions like "turn left on Jalan Bukit Merah" fail when you can't see street signs, don't read the local language, or are in an unfamiliar city. PathLens gives you the spatial context that 2D maps can't — you preview the entire route in 3D before you walk it, and every turn is anchored to a real visual landmark you can actually spot on the ground.

Built by **Rahul**, **Kevan**, and **Zul** for **Gemini Hackathon 3**.

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## Features

- **3D Photorealistic Map** — Uses CesiumJS with Google Map Tiles API to render real-world 3D environments
- **Third-Person Character** — A fully animated 3D character (idle, walk, run, jump, strafe) rendered via Three.js on a transparent overlay
- **Manual Walk Mode** — Drop a character anywhere on the map and explore freely with WASD + mouse-look controls
- **Auto-Walk Navigation** — Enter origin and destination to genera

Team