Among the entries for Google’s Android Developer Challenge is the new, very nifty navigation concept, Enkin. The system displays location-based content in a way that collapses the gap between reality and cartographical representation. The concept crams GPS, orientation sensors, camera input, directional information, motion detection, 3D graphics, live video, several web services and an innovative user interface into an intuitive navigation system for mobile devices.

Essentially, these features serve to augment a user’s experience of his/her surrounding environment with placemarkers, which indicate landmarks. The possibilities provided by this type of technology seem limitless. Imagine how the concept might function as a tool for museums, libraries, facilities, etc. Virtual hanging signs could revolutionize the way we perceive and understand the world around us.

Engadget reports that Nokia has been toying with this concept for a quite a while now but have ultimately failed to commercialize it. Nonetheless, it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing it as a usable product on retail devices.

Be sure to check out a demo video of Enkin at http://www.enkin.net/