Chuck Benton demonstrates his BoundARy Viewer app at S. Fernald’s Country Store in downtown Damariscotta on June 7. The red lines mark the boundaries of the property across the street. (Haley Bascom photo)
Chuck Benton, of Nobleboro, launched his app BoundARy Viewer just over a year ago. Now, after winning the technology award from the Top Gun Showcase Pitch Off in Portland on May 24, Benton hopes to improve and promote the augmented reality property boundary app with the $120,000 prize.
Augmented reality, a term used to describe computer programs that add to one’s view of one’s surroundings, has been a focus of Benton’s career since he formed Technology Systems Inc. in 1985. He initially went to school to be a pilot, but was drawn to electrical engineering as a career.
Benton’s technology company quickly drew attention from the U.S. Department of Defense and the company was under contract from 1987-2014. While his team worked on a number of research and development projects, it focused primarily on a rising technology known as augmented reality.
Nobleboro entrepreneur Chuck Benton demonstrates his BoundARy Viewer app in downtown Damariscotta on June 7. The technology is similar to the position lines visible on a TV screen during football games. (Haley Bascom photo)
Now, with the growing popularity of smartphones and personal tablets, Benton realized the technology could benefit more than just large-scale, select interest groups. In 2014, he shut down Technology Systems Inc. and started a new business: Team Augmented Reality Inc.
“The idea is to take augmented reality capabilities and translate it to the general public,” said Benton.
Benton knew the best business model for apps was not creating new content, but finding ways to make existing content more accessible. He learned Maine had started digitizing property lines into a singular database, and his idea for BoundARy Viewer was born.
BoundARy Viewer takes data entered through the app and places it onto an interactive map. Anyone with a smartphone or tablet can then scroll through the aerial map to see detailed property lines throughout the country.
With the paid version, the “augmented reality” feature can be turned on. With this, the app turns into camera view and property lines are seen in real time on the device. The subscription necessary to activate this feature costs $2.95 per month or $19.95 per year, and is only available to customers in mapped areas.
The app does still have limitations. One common complaint is how certain areas in the country aren’t mapped. Benton said that unfortunately, the app can only be as good as the data available. Not all states have entered their property in a single digital database, but Benton is working with companies to change this. Boundary Solutions Inc. in Silicon Valley teamed up with Team Augmented Reality in an effort to digitize and consolidate property line databases.
BoundARy Viewer is currently marketed as a tool for real estate agents, but Benton hopes to bring the app to a wider audience once advancements are made.
Benton related his own experience using the app. He was walking a piece of land, trying to find the pin marking the corner property line, but he wasn’t finding it. So he pulled out his app.
“I hit the augmented reality button and there was the side I came from, there was the other side, and right in front of me should have been the corner. So I walked over, looked under a leaf, and there it was,” said Benton.
Team Augmented Reality is also working on an app that would use augmented reality to show underground utility lines and pipes for utility workers, but that app is still in development.
Benton plans on marketing his app on a larger scale at the end of the summer once more additions are made.
“If I were to wave a magic wand, everyone excavating their backyard would have a tablet with them, telling them they’re about to dig into their neighbor’s yard,” said Benton.
More information and a download link for BoundARy Viewer can be found at boundaryviewer.com or by searching “BoundARy Viewer” in any app store. The app is available for both iPhones and Android phones.
