A new iPhone app is using augmented reality and big data to create animated visualizations based on New York's subway system.

Tunnel Vision enables users to see which stations are likely to be the most crowded and view where in the system their train theoretically is — simply by pointing their iPhone at a subway map.

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The iOS app will recognize any map of the subway — whether it's a wall map, a paper map or an onscreen map. Once it recognizes the map, it overlays animated visualizations that display transit and demographic data for different areas of New York City, based on where they are located in relation to the subway.

The app relies on MTA and U.S. Census data to provide its visualizations, which are based on six different datasets.

MTA information includes subway schedules and turnstile activity. Tap on Schedules and it displays an animated map of the estimated position of each train in the system; Turnstile activity shows estimates of whether stations have more people entering or leaving at any given time.

Tunnel Vision's app will display real-time schedule and turnstyle info. Image: Tunnel Vision NYC

The other visualizations come from census data, including median income and rent price, population density and the percentage of English-only speakers. As you move your device across the map, the graphics change to reflect the new area.

The app was the thesis project of Bill Lindmeier, an Interactive Telecommunications student at New York University.

Check out the video below to see the app in action.