Evaluation of a mobile projector-based indoor navigation interface

Abstract

In recent years, the interest and potential applications of pedestrian indoor navigation solutions have significantly increased. Whereas the majority of mobile indoor navigation aid solutions visualize navigational information on mobile screens, the present study investigates the effectiveness of a mobile projector-based navigation aid that directly projects navigational information into the environment. A benchmark evaluation of the mobile projector-based indoor navigation interface was carried out, investigating a combination of different navigation devices (mobile projector vs. mobile screen) and navigation information (map vs. arrow) as well as the impact of users' spatial abilities. Results showed the superiority of the mobile screen as a navigation aid and the map as a navigation information type. Especially users with low spatial abilities benefited from this combination in their navigation performance and acceptance. Potential application scenarios and design implications for novel indoor navigation interfaces are derived from our findings. © 2013 © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Computer Society. All rights reserved.