Pioneering AR Discovery in the UAE: LeLaboDigital’s Award-Winning Partnership with Monocle Reality
Context: A Vision to Augment the Way We Experience Cities
In 2018, Monocle Reality set out to build something ambitious: an Augmented Reality platform that would reimagine how people discover the world around them—starting with Dubai. The application, AYN, aimed to bring an entirely new layer of context to physical space, allowing users to explore restaurants, landmarks, and real estate listings overlaid through their mobile devices.
But the path to building the region’s most accurate AR discovery platform came with its share of obstacles—ones that called for advanced problem-solving and deep technical ingenuity.
That’s where LeLaboDigital came in.
The Challenge: Navigating Limitations of Real-World Hardware
Back in 2018, mobile hardware had its limits:
- GPS was imprecise in dense urban areas.
- AR sensors on mobile phones lacked calibration.
- Data entry for POIs (points of interest) was time-consuming.
- Location-based AR simply wasn’t production-ready in the region.
Building a meaningful, responsive, and real-time AR experience required innovation beyond out-of-the-box tools.
Our Approach: Precision AR Through R&D and Technical Leadership
Our partnership began with a commitment to R&D-first thinking. Over two months, we combined cutting-edge software, creative UX, and deep hardware understanding to make AYN not only work—but lead.
🔁 Hybrid Positioning System
We overcame sensor inaccuracy using a multi-layered approach to geolocation:
-
- GPS triangulation, combined with:
- Relative positioning, using proximity to known landmarks
- Camera-based object detection & landmark recognition to verify where the user is looking in real time
- Calibration from gyroscope and motion sensors to refine orientation
This allowed us to achieve hyper-local precision—placing digital content exactly where it belonged in real space.
🧭 Built in Unity 3D
AYN was engineered on Unity 3D, enabling full control over rendering, sensor input, and AR overlay performance. Our engineering team mapped all major zones of Dubai into Augmented Reality—establishing the first large-scale AR discovery grid in the region.
📊 Data as Experience
We transformed raw, quantitative datasets—such as F&B reviews, occupancy rates, and listing prices—into visual and interactive overlays. Then we went further.
In partnership with Basillabs, we leveraged AI-powered sentiment analysis to parse restaurant reviews and dynamically visualize public opinion on the AR map. One glance could tell you not just what was nearby—but what people felt about it.
🏠 Scale Beyond F&B
Soon after launch, we extended the platform to real estate. Brokers could scan buildings to view available units for rent or sale. Prospective tenants could discover listings in real time, just by walking through a neighborhood.
Strategic & Technical Services Provided by LeLaboDigital
This was more than software development—it was full-spectrum tech consultancy:
- Tech Advisory & Fractional CTO: Provided long-term vision and technical leadership.
- Go-to-Market Strategy & Monetization: Developed launch strategy and business model alignment
- UI/UX Excellence: Delivered fluid, AR-optimized UX for mobile interaction
- AWS Serverless Cloud Architecture: Scalable and cost-effective infrastructure for long-term growth
- Rapid MVP Development: From concept to launch in 2 months
- AI Integration: Sentiment analysis for content enrichment
- Product Management & Delivery: Coordinated R&D, QA, and iterative rollout
- Talent Acquisition Support: Recruited and managed the technical team
- Operational Oversight: Ensured smooth handover, scalability, and expansion to new sectors
Recognition & Impact
Our work didn’t go unnoticed.
- 🏆 Top 4 Emerging Tech Startups in the UAE (2019)
Awarded by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry - 🌍 Top 135 Global Startups – Web Summit Lisbon (2019)
Selected for the Pitch Competition as the only startup from the Middle East
📰 Featured In:
The Outcome: AYN as a Foundation for the Future of AR
AYN set the bar for what was possible in real-world Augmented Reality experiences in the region. By combining sensor fusion, AI, and real-time cloud data into a single intuitive experience, LeLaboDigital helped Monocle Reality:
- Deliver one of the first AR city platforms in MENA
- Prove the viability of location-aware commercial AR
- Create a foundation that could scale into multiple verticals—from tourism to proptech
A Glimpse Into the Future—Before the World Was Ready
While AYN was poised to transform how people experienced cities, the app was discontinued in 2019 as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted mobility, halted investor momentum, and shifted market focus away from spatial exploration.
But the vision lived on.
In 2024, Google introduced AR navigation into Google Maps, validating the same core principles that AYN pioneered six years earlier:
Augmented discovery, landmark-based positioning, and contextual overlays.
What you’re seeing:
Simply tap the camera icon to search using Live View. Discover nearby ATMs, restaurants, parks, and transit stations, displaying their open hours and ratings. Follow AR arrows that guide you precisely to your destination.
AYN wasn’t just an app.
It was a prototype of the future—proof that LeLaboDigital and Monocle Reality were already building what the world would later come to expect.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
– Alan Kay
Let’s Build the Future of AR, Together
Whether you’re mapping physical space, bringing your content into the real world, or blending AI with spatial computing—we can help you get there.
Let’s imagine what your brand could do in the augmented future.