You Can Build an AI Compass That 'Translates Your Intentions' Into Routes
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Wish you could just wander around a new city without needing your phone for directions? One design firm has created a compass that can "translate your intentions" and map out your desired route with the help of AI.
Dutch design studio Modem is preparing to launch the second generation of TERRA, its AI-powered compass designed to help people explore cities without relying on their phones.
The updated version of the device, which aims to make digital navigation more mindful and tactile, will be released later this year, the company said, sharing the news of the release of the second generation as an exclusive first with Newsweek.
"We're currently working on the second generation of TERRA, an open-source AI device designed to let you wander without your phone," Bas van de Poel, cofounder of Modem, told Newsweek.
A close-up view of the TERRA device held in a person's hand (left); a person walking along a street holding the TERRA in their hand (right).
A close-up view of the TERRA device held in a person's hand (left); a person walking along a street holding the TERRA in their hand (right).
Modem
Modem, which also recently released the Dream Recorder device that turns your dreams into video reels, has worked with clients including OpenAI and Google Deepmind. The studio has also done research papers with institutions such as the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and UC Berkeley in California.
"TERRA is a companion for mindful wandering...TERRA's sophisticated AI translates your intentions, available time, and precise location into a tailored trail," according to its website.
"Combining the science of AI with the principles of mindfulness, TERRA is a pocket-sized compass that transforms your intentions, available time, and precise location into a personalized trail of GPS coordinates," van de Poel said.
Rather than operating like a traditional compass that simply points north, TERRA uses AI to provide a customized, distraction-free navigation experience, blending digital intelligence with analog simplicity.
Astin le Clercq, Modem's cofounder and design director, described the inspiration behind TERRA as a response to modern screen dependence.
"We wanted to create something that would encourage people to step away from their phones and explore the world with more presence," le Clercq told Newsweek. "The idea was to combine the emotional pull of an analog object with the intelligence of AI. Something that feels human and tactile, yet uses technology to guide mindful, intentional wandering."
Images of the TERRA device, which can "translate your intentions" and map out your desired travel route using AI.
Images of the TERRA device, which can "translate your intentions" and map out your desired travel route using AI.
Modem
The first generation of the device, released in April 2024, was launched as an open-source project. "Because TERRA launched as an open-source project, the community built dozens of devices and provided invaluable feedback," le Clercq said.
That input helped shape the next version. "We're focusing on making assembly far simpler— like plug-in connectors instead of soldering—and streamlining the digital user experience, especially around how you create prompts," he said.
The design director noted: "The goal is to make TERRA easier to build and even more intuitive to use."
TERRA users can input prompts like "Le Marais tour in Paris with a patisserie and park stop," and the compass will guide them to curated locations using "gentle haptics and a discreet digital needle," le Clercq explained.
The TERRA website echoes that simplicity, noting "amid the constant distractions of our phones, TERRA offers a different path. The interface is minimal, featuring only a tranquil compass needle and gentle haptic feedback."
To build a TERRA, users can download the open-source software, 3D print the CAD files, and assemble the hardware components. The company says this DIY format will be even more accessible in the second generation, thanks to a redesigned printed circuit board (PCB) and simplified construction.
Le Clercq confirmed the second-generation device is scheduled for release in the middle of the fourth quarter of 2025, pending finalization of the custom PCB.
TERRA's goal, the company emphasizes, is not just to help people get from point A to B, but to change how we interact with the spaces around us—using tech to encourage presence rather than distraction.
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