Designing an Augmented Reality Based Navigation Interface for Large Indoor Spaces

Abstract: Navigating from one place to another is something we as humans do on an everyday basis, and modern technology has made it easier than ever by providing navigation tools in our mobile devices. In indoor spaces, augmented reality (AR) based navigation interfaces have shown a lot of potential, as it has been proven to increase efficiency and overall usability. However, there is a lack of research investigating how these types of interfaces should be designed to create a good user experience. This study aimed at providing more insight into this by exploring the usability of a mobile AR interface for indoor navigation through the Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation (RITE) method. In total, six participants tested the interface in three rounds of user testing and iteration, with two participants taking part in each round. The results showed that the usability increased with each iteration. Findings also reaffirmed the importance of minimizing the amount of information presented in the AR interface, by for example presenting information prior to the AR interface, as well as the value of adding support for occlusion. Moreover, confusion caused by how the virtual objects aligned with the real physical space showed the importance of testing on-site.