Abstract:
The study examines the development of an interactive urban navigation system to be relevant to
historical urban areas, such as by the case study of Icherisheher, UNESCO World Heritage site in Baku,
Azerbaijan. Indeed, the emphasis in this case, also, would be addressing major inefficiencies in the
conventional navigation systems by not accommodating complex layout and cultural significance of
historical areas. Here, the transformation from a traditional navigation system into an active exploration
activity is achieved using innovative geocaching features, sophisticated database architecture, and an
interface design user-centric.
The two basic technological innovations are comprehensive feature modelling system and an image
validation system that uses computer vision to verify whether or not specific caches have been
discovered once accuracy exceeds a pre-defined threshold. This way, gamification seeks to promote
exploration fun but still encourage a larger cultural heritage engagement.
The design implementation is a configuration of database frameworks via Docker containerization
technology, thus enabling the integration of a PostgreSQL database with PostGIS extensions for spatial
data management and a Neo4J graph database for representing relationships into a viable dual database
model that works well for handling complex geospatial queries and relational data.
The user interface places intuitive navigation as a primary objective, in addition to specifying
multiple routes-as new, old, cultural, tourist-optimized, generous and scenic, real-time location tracking,
and an engaging gamification system. Increases more user involvement in the geocaching interface
dynamically,through inclusion of location triggers, image upload mechanisms, and progress tracking
during geocaching game.
This research establishes the contours of urban informatics and human-computer interaction by
demonstrating the idea that gamification elements indeed enhance the experience of cultural tourism.
Deployment through Docker significantly increases the reliability and scalability of the system and
enacts a data integrity policy through comprehensive validation and performance testing protocols. This
framework thus offers a paradigm for similar implementations in historical urban areas across the globe
in marrying technology innovation with cultural preservation for more interactive and informative
navigation experiences.