Raahi (noun) Traveler
A platform business model that helps newcomers and travelers in a city connect and travel with a local companion.
Connecting Travelers and Locals Through Gamified VR Experiences
This project explores the design and development of a two-sided marketplace—a platform business model that facilitates meaningful connections between travelers, newcomers, and local residents. By leveraging Virtual Reality (VR) and gamification, the platform transforms the travel experience into an engaging, interactive, and socially enriching journey.
Research methods used
Focus Groups | Surveys & Questionnaires | Ethnographic Research | Journey Mapping
Problem Identified
Traveling to a new city can be overwhelming, especially for first-time visitors or newcomers who may struggle with navigation, cultural differences, or loneliness. Likewise, locals who wish to share their knowledge and experiences often lack structured ways to connect with visitors. There is a need for a seamless, engaging, and safe way for both groups to interact.
Raahi is an interactive travel companion that connects users through a gamified VR interface. It enables Companion Matching, allowing travelers and locals to connect based on shared interests. Through Immersive VR Experiences, users can explore destinations and plan journeys together. Gamification Elements like points and rewards encourage engagement, while Safety & Trust Mechanisms ensure a secure and reliable experience.
For Travelers: A more immersive and socially engaging way to explore new destinations.
For Locals: A platform to share experiences, earn rewards, and build cross-cultural connections.
For the Travel Industry: A novel approach to tourism, blending technology with authentic human connections.
Service Offering & Impact
Anna is relocating to Mumbai and feels overwhelmed about the big move.
She watches several YouTube videos but craves a more immersive experience.
She discovers Raahi and downloads the app.
After setting up her VR headset, she selects a city tour uploaded by a volunteer.
She puts on the headset and explores Mumbai in virtual reality.
Experiencing the city firsthand eases her anxiety, making her feel more confident about the move.
Key Features
Two sided marketplace
Users can choose between wanting to be a volunteer, to upload content for others or to become a traveler and experience the VR world created by the volunteers.
Personalization: Onboarding and Home page
Onboarding screens will give the users a chance to select their preference in terms of what experience they would want. Eg: whether they want to just freely explore the city or travel at night etc.
The home page will be personalized for each user based on the preferences and city they select.
Users get to select their preferred travel route either by selecting a guide of their choice or by the recommended route options for them.
Know your guide
When the users select a guide's profile, they will get to see a list of content and videos uploaded by the volunteer, and will be able to choose from the same.
Directly selecting a route will show the users of the current level of game they are in, and all the levels in that particular route.
Other screens: For the traveler
Explore page
Users can explore other place apart from the selected cities and recommended routes.
Journey tracking
Screen dedicated to help user easily navigate through the current route and level he is on; and to see past journeys taken.
User Profile
All the necessary information regarding the user's profile and headsets can be accessed here.
Other screens: For the volunteer
Explore page
The volunteers can quickly upload their content, glance through their profile and uploads through the home screen.
Journey tracking
This screen will help the volunteers in understanding what their rating is amongst the users, what reviews they are getting and what content they have uploaded in the past.
