Mobile Pedestrian Navigation Research Articles

The impact of progress indicators and information density on users' temporal perception and user experience in mobile pedestrian navigation applications

This study examines progress indicators and information density in mobile pedestrian navigation applications and explores their impact on user duration perception and experience. The study attempted to improve the user's pedestrian navigation experiences through different interface visual design strategies. We conducted a 3 × 2 between-subjects analysis to evaluate the effect of progress indicators (bar, pointer, and countdown) and visual information (less and regular information) in a simulated pedestrian navigation application. Forty-eight subjects participated in a one-on-one manipulation experiment simulating walking a designated route, followed by duration judgments and scale surveys. The results showed that progress indicator types significantly influenced participants' duration perceptions. The duration perception of “less information” increased by nearly 26.3%, and the duration perception of “regular amount of information” decreased by almost 29%. In addition, participants experienced the progress “bar” type as having higher learnability. Finally, participants preferred the “bar” type progress indicator, and the information density did not affect their preferences.

Landmark selection for route instructions: At which corner of an intersection is the preferred landmark located?

Cognitive studies showed that good landmarks–salient objects in the environment–make it easier for recipients of route instructions to find their way to the destination. Adding landmarks to route instructions also improves mobile navigation systems for pedestrians. But, which landmarks do people consider most helpful when giving route instructions? Four experiments explored this question. In the first experiment, the environment, including the route and landmarks, was presented on a map. The landmarks were located at the four corners of a right-angled intersection. Participants had to select those landmark-based route instructions they considered most helpful. In all other experiments, the environment was presented from an egocentric perspective, either in a video or as a sequence of pictures of intersections. Participants had to select those landmarks they would use in a route instruction. All landmarks had the same visual and semantic salience. The positions of the participants at the intersection were varied. Results show that participants consistently selected landmarks at the side of the road into which they had to turn. Moreover, the participants' position at the intersection affected whether they selected landmarks before or behind the decision point. These results have consequences for human spatial cognition research and for the automatic selection of landmarks in mobile pedestrian navigation systems.

Choose your own route – supporting pedestrian navigation without restricting the user to a predefined route

ABSTRACT State-of-the-art mobile pedestrian navigation systems often employ GPS or other positioning methods for continuous tracking of users, and thus provide them with in-situ turn-by-turn route guidance along a desired route. However, studies have shown that user experience and acquisition of spatial knowledge decrease due to the “blind” following of such turn-by-turn navigation systems. This paper proposes a novel interface concept for mobile pedestrian navigation systems that provide navigation guidance without restricting the users to a predefined route. Specifically, the proposed novel user interface was based on the concept of the Potential Route Area (PRA), which defines a dynamic area consisting of all potential routes not longer than a certain detour the user is willing to accept. Within that area, the user can freely choose his/her own route and alter it anytime, and can still arrive at the destination within the desired detour tolerance. As a proof of concept, the proposed PRA-based system was then tested against a conventional turn-by-turn navigation system, represented by Google Maps, in a real-world navigation experiment, which revealed that the acquisition of spatial knowledge and user experience were substantially improved when using the PRA-based system. This can be explained by the fact that the PRA-based system provides its users with more freedom in choosing their own route.

Comparative study of user experience on mobile pedestrian navigation between digital map interface and location-based augmented reality

Fast-paced mobile technology development has permitted augmented reality experiences to be delivered on mobile pedestrian navigation context. The fact that the more prevalent of this technology commonly will substituting the digital map visualization to present the geo-location information is still debatable. This paper comprises a report on a field study comparing about user experience when interacting with different modes of mobile electronic assistance in the context of pedestrian navigation interfaces which utilize location-based augmented reality (AR) and two-dimensional digital map to visualize the points of interest (POIs) location in the vicinity of the user. The study was conducted with two subsequent experiments in the Zhongli District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. The study involved 10 participants aged between 22 and 28 years with different experiences in using smartphones and navigation systems. Navigation performance was measured based on a usability approach on pragmatic quality and hedonic quality like effectiveness (success rate of task completion), efficiency (task completion time) and satisfaction in real outdoor conditions. The evaluation findings have been cross-checked with the user’s personal comments. We aim at eliciting knowledge about user requirements related to mobile pedestrian interfaces and evaluating user experience from pragmatic and hedonic viewpoints. Results show that in the context of pedestrian navigation, digital map interfaces lead to significantly better navigation performance in pragmatic attributes in comparison to AR interfaces. Nevertheless, the study also reveals that location-based AR is more valued by participants in hedonic qualities and overall performance.

Augmented reality and pedestrian navigation through its implementation in m-learning and e-learning: Evaluation of an educational program in Chile

The implementation of Mobile Pedestrian Navigation and Augmented Reality in mobile learning contexts shows new forms of interaction when students are taught by means of learning activities in formal settings. This research presents the educational, quantitative, and qualitative evaluation of an Augmented Reality and Mobile Pedestrian Navigation app. The software was designed for mobile learning in an educational context, to evaluate its effectiveness when applied as a teaching tool, in comparison to similar tools such as those present in e-learning. A mixed-method analysis was used, with primary school students from Chile as subjects (n = 143). They were split into one control group and one experimental group. The control group worked in an e-learning environment, while the experimental group performed the activity as field work, making use of the app (m-learning). Students were evaluated pretest and posttest using an objective test to measure their level of learning. In parallel, a satisfaction survey was carried out concerning the use of these technologies, in addition to interviews with several students and teachers of the experimental group. Pretest-posttest results indicate that the experimental group outperformed the control group in their learning levels. The results of the interviews and the satisfaction survey show that these technologies, combined with fieldwork, increase the effectiveness of the teaching-learning processes. Further, they promote the interaction of students with contents for learning, and they improve students’ performance in the educational process. The main goal is to provide a methodology for the analysis of an ad-hoc designed app. The app is intended to provide an m-learning process for subjects being taught about cultural heritage. The quantitative and qualitative results obtained show that it can be more effective than using similar technologies in e-learning contexts.

Realidad Aumentada y Navegación Peatonal Móvil con contenidos Patrimoniales: Percepción del aprendizaje

By creating a mobile learning app about heritage elements, related to the implementation of resources such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Mobile Pedestrian Navigation (MPN), some training process has been developed in mobility contexts, linked to the territorial information on the historical and cultural patrimony corresponding to the cities of Salamanca (Spain) and Santiago (Chile). The software development focuses on two major areas: the first is the determination of the territorial scenarios, generating a database that can be used in mobile contexts; the second is focused on the design and the development of the AR-MPN application, defining its architecture, functionality, interface and implementation. The results are the construction of flexible software in a mobile environment that allows the presentation of contents on the historical heritage of the selected cities. In a complementary way, the determination of the effectiveness of the application is carried out within a context of situated and mobile learning. From the students’ perception, both the mobile application and the developed learning are evaluated, using an instrument (questionnaire), consulting dimensions such as the hardware, the software and the patrimonial contents as part of the educational process in a mobile and localized context. The results establish that there is a positive evaluation around the tools and the implemented experiences, allowing the generation of new learning methodologies mediated in mobile contexts.

Virtual Heritage of the Territory: Design and Implementation of Educational Resources in Augmented Reality and Mobile Pedestrian Navigation

This paper intends to establish the relationship between the heritage content of mobile pedestrian navigation system–augmented reality application and learning processes through mobile devices. In this context, a teaching–learning process will be developed that is linked to urban heritage, determining the educational effectiveness with these tools. The methodological research focuses on two dimensions: 1) technological design of a mobile learning platform and 2) determining educational modes of understanding of the program. A patrimonial thematic unit will result from this design whose significance in mLearning–uLearning processes will be determined, considering the elements of identity and local culture.

Towards interfaces of mobile pedestrian navigation systems adapted to the user’s orientation skills

It is an open question, whether differently developed orientation skills require alternate pedestrian navigation interface designs for optimal self-localization during wayfinding. To address this issue we conducted two user studies in order to analyze different presentations of mobile maps.Evaluations were conducted in an outdoor (N=112) and indoor (N=64) environment. We recorded the time it took participants to localize themselves with the help of salient objects. Significant results were found for both studies. Abstract interfaces support well-oriented users, whereas worse oriented ones profited from standard designs. Consequently, we make the case for user-adaptive pedestrian navigation interfaces.

Considering Affective Responses towards Environments for Enhancing Location Based Services

Abstract. A number of studies in the field of environmental psychology show that humans perceive and evaluate their surroundings affectively. Some places are experienced as unsafe, while some others as attractive and interesting. Experiences from daily life show that many of our daily behaviours and decision-making are often influenced by this kind of affective responses towards environments. Location based services (LBS) are often designed to assist and support people’s behaviours and decision-making in space. In order to provide services with high usefulness (usability and utility), LBS should consider these kinds of affective responses towards environments. This paper reports on the results of a research project, which studies how people’s affective responses towards environments can be modelled and acquired, as well as how LBS can benefit by considering these affective responses. As one of the most popular LBS applications, mobile pedestrian navigation systems are used as an example for illustration.

A Study of User Perception, Interface Performance, and Actual Usage of Mobile Pedestrian Navigation Aides

The proliferation of pedestrian navigation tools has made it challenging for users to avoid being confused and overwhelmed by the choices. Studies comparing mobile pedestrian navigation aides have generally based conclusions on either survey results from separate trials of exclusive interface usage or on performance of the interfaces as judged by the speed with which users are able to complete wayfinding tasks. However, it is not clear if users would mirror their individual trials or find a more strategic mixed-mode approach to using the tools at their disposal when given an option to choose from a set of tools. It is also unclear if users actually care about performance when choosing a navigation tool. We conducted a study to compare actual usage of navigation tools against user perception of the tools and performance with the tools in a series of wayfinding tasks. Results indicate that independent surveys can align well with extreme cases while performance may not actually be a good indicator of usage preferences.

EVALUATING THREE INTERFACE TECHNOLOGIES IN ASSISTING PEDESTRIANS' SPATIAL KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION

Abstract. Recent years have seen raising interests in mobile pedestrian navigation systems. Different interface technologies can be used to communicate/convey route directions to pedestrians, such as mobile maps, voices, and augmented reality (AR). Many field experiments have been conducted to study the effectiveness of different interface technologies in guiding pedestrians to their destinations. In contrast to other field studies, this article aims at investigating the influence of different interface technologies on spatial knowledge acquisition (spatial learning). With sufficient spatial knowledge about an environment, people can still find their way when navigation systems fail (e.g. out of battery). The goal of this article is to empirically evaluate three GPS-based navigation prototypes (implementing mobile map-based, AR-based, and voice-based guidance respectively) in supporting spatial knowledge acquisition. The field test showed that in terms of spatial knowledge acquisition, the three interface technologies led to comparable poor results, which were also not significantly different from each other. This article concludes with some implications for designing mobile pedestrian navigation systems.

Collective intelligence-based route recommendation for assisting pedestrian wayfinding in the era of Web 2.0

Mobile pedestrian navigation systems are one of the most popular Location-Based Services. In the era of Web 2.0, current mobile navigation systems often suffer from the following problems: the lack of social navigation support (utilising other people's experiences) and the challenge of making user-generated content (UGC) useful. In this article, some collective intelligence-based route recommendation methods are designed to address these problems. The proposed methods can make use of UGC (reflecting other users’ navigation experiences), and provide users with the least complex and the length-complexity-optimised (LCO) routes. Some simulations using the street network of the first district of Vienna (Austria) are designed to evaluate the proposed methods. The results show that compared to the shortest route, the collective intelligence-based routes (i.e. the least complex and the LCO routes) have a significant improvement of the route quality (with lower complexity ratings), thereby more effectively supporting users’ navigation tasks (more chances of reaching the destination, fewer mistakes made and shorter distance travelled).

Spatial Knowledge Acquisition with Mobile Maps, Augmented Reality and Voice in the Context of GPS-based Pedestrian Navigation: Results from a Field Test

GPS-based pedestrian navigation systems have become increasingly popular. Different interface technologies can be used to communicate/convey route directions to pedestrians. This paper aims to empirically study the influence of different interface technologies on spatial knowledge acquisition in the context of GPS-based pedestrian navigation. A field experiment was implemented to address this concern. Firstly, the suitability of the evaluation methods in assessing spatial knowledge acquisition was analyzed empirically (focusing on the ability of differentiating “familiar” and “unfamiliar” participants). The suitable methods were then used to compare the influence of mobile maps, augmented reality, and voice on spatial learning. The field test showed that in terms of spatial knowledge acquisition, the three interface technologies led to comparable results, which were not significantly different from each other. The results bring some challenging issues for consideration when designing mobile pedestrian navigation systems.