1 scene
6 prototypes
Dara Chang
XR-Based Interactive Navigation System
The XR-based interactive navigation system provided users with a more seamless and intuitive navigation experience by integrating instructions as virtual objects into physical settings.
Project Profile
- Time
Sep 2020 – Jan 2021
- Background
Final project of Human Computer Interaction Theory and Technology course at Tsinghua University
- Skills & Tools
C# / VR / Unity / Oculus Quest
- Role
Team lead / UX designer & engineer / UX researcher
- Contribution
- Lead the team by arranging schedules and distributing tasks
- Build the global map and prototypes of user
following absolute arrows, and fixed arrows at corners - Design and conduct usability testing and user interviews
Final Outcome
10
car collision/tour
100
%
navigation time
We proposed an innovative mix-mode navigation system by leveraging XR technology. Most users provided positive feedback to our designs.
10
car collision/tour
100
%
navigation time
We proposed an innovative mix-mode navigation system by leveraging XR technology. Most users provided positive feedback to our designs.
Problems
User research
My team and I delved into the causes of car collisions. Our research surprisingly uncovered that navigation systems contribute to a considerable number of traffic accidents. Subsequently, through user interviews, we gained deeper insights into the pain points associated with today’s navigation systems.
User research
My team and I delved into the causes of car collisions. Our research surprisingly uncovered that navigation systems contribute to a considerable number of traffic accidents. Subsequently, through user interviews, we gained deeper insights into the pain points associated with today’s navigation systems.
Pain point 1
When using navigation system, attention may be diverted from traffic conditions due to focusing on the mobile screen.
Pain point 2
Quantified instructions provided by voice navigation systems may confuse users.
Pain point 3
After entering navigation mode, users may not be able to check the relationship between the current location and the destination at any time.
Ideate
Pain point 1 & 2
XR technology
By presenting navigation instructions to users in a virtual elements format seamlessly integrated into the physical environment, our goal was to provide more intuitive instructions and enhance their awareness of the dynamic surroundings concurrently.
Pain point 3
Mixed-mode navigation system
We categorized the virtual navigation instructions we created into global and local methods based on the nature of the provided information: local navigation provides clear direction and global navigation indicates user’s relative position to the destination. Through cross-combination, we proposed the novel concept of a mixed-mode navigation system.
Prototypes
City scene
To avoid users’ familiarity of the scene affecting the test results, we constructed a city scene in VR that includes moving vehicles.
Prototypes
We built 6 prototypes in total which simulated AR effects in the VR scene.
Contemporary navigation method
We first built a prototype simulating existing screen-based navigation system.
Improved contemporary navigation method with AR
By implementing AR effects, we displayed a map with the user’s real-time location in the user’s field of view.
Mixed-mode navigation method
We finally proposed 4 mixed-mode navigation systems by combining the global and local navigation methods.
- Light beam indicating destination + highlighted route
- Light beam indicating destination + fixed arrows at corners
- User-following absolute arrow pointing to destination + highlighted route
- User-following absolute arrow pointing to destination + fixed arrows at corners
Testing
2 rounds
12 participants
Usability testing
In the virtual city scene, we set up a fixed starting and ending point, recording the time users took to reach their destinations and the number of collisions with vehicles while using different navigation systems.
Key finding 1
For the three types of navigation method, we conducted a one-way ANOVA and obtained a p-value of 0.000289, indicating statistical significance (p < 0.05) in the impact of our designed navigation systems on users’ performance.
Key finding 2
For the four mixed-mode navigation methods, we conducted a two-way ANOVA and the p-values (> 0.05) indicated that the influence of different global/local navigation methods and their interaction on users’ navigation performance was not significant.
Key finding 3
The effect of light beam was slightly better than user-following absolute arrow among global navigation methods; The effect of different local navigation methods was quite the same.
Key finding 4
Users were hit by cars only in the contemporary navigation method cases.
User interviews
Key finding 1
Most users primarily relied on the clear direction provided by local navigation while global navigation could alleviate their uncertainty during prolonged navigation.
Key finding 2
The map is too small and vague. It may also block user’s view.
Key finding 3
The user-following absolute arrow is helpless for most users.
Key finding 1
Most users primarily relied on the clear direction provided by local navigation while global navigation could alleviate their uncertainty during prolonged navigation.
Key finding 2
The map is too small and vague. It may also block user’s view.
Key finding 3
The user-following absolute arrow is helpless for most users.
Finalize & Results
Mixed-mode navigation method -
Light beam indicating destination + fixed arrows at corners
Results
- 0 crash with vehicles
In experiments, we demonstrated that users utilizing our simulated AR-based navigation system experienced zero car accidents during navigation, effectively addressing safety concerns associated with today’s navigation systems.
- 86% reduction in navigation time
Compared to the simulated contemporary navigation method, we proved that our mixed-mode navigation method could significantly reduce the time users spent on navigation.
- Better navigation experience
According to the user interviews, most users appreciated our innovative mixed-mode navigation method. They expressed that local navigation could offer intuitive navigation instructions, while global navigation could reduce their uncertainty throughout the journey.
Room for improvement
- Build prototypes of single-mode navigation methods to further investigate the impact of different local/global navigation on user performance.
- Remove the map from the user’s view as most participants found it useless.
- Conduct more in-depth user research to incorporate variations in users’ navigation abilities when analyzing test results.