User preferences on route instruction types for mobile indoor route guidance

Adaptive mobile wayfinding systems are being developed to ease wayfinding in the indoor environment. They present wayfinding information to the user, which is adapted to the context. Wayfinding information can be communicated by using different types of route instructions, such as text, photos, videos, symbols or a combination thereof. The need for a different type of route instruction may vary at decision points, for example because of its complexity. Furthermore, these needs may be different for different user characteristics (e.g., age, gender, level of education). To determine this need for information, an online survey has been executed where participants rated 10 different route instruction types at several decision points in a case study building. Results show that the types with additional text were preferred over those without text. The photo instructions, combined with text, generally received the highest ratings, especially from first-time visitors. 3D simulations were appreciated at complex decision points and by younger people. When text (with symbols) is considered as a route instruction type, it is best used for the start or end instruction

BUILDING A VIRTUAL TIME MACHINE FOR THE ANCIENT RUINS OF JIAOHE

[EN] The goal of this work in progress is the virtual 3D reconstruction of one of the temples of the Ancient Ruins of Jiaohe (China). This site, considered as one of the key locations on the Silk Road, is slowly deteriorating due to erosion and human activity. One of its buildings, the Northwest Small Temple, was partially reconstructed as part of the Master plan for preservation and restoration as proposed by the UNESCO/Japan Trust Fund. Furthermore, a replica of the temple was built at the site entrance. The UNESCO master plan serves as the starting point for the 3D reconstruction, which is performed in three phases. The first phase comprises an initial 3D reconstruction of the temple based on floor plans and sections, and the placement of this reconstruction in a low-resolution 3D model of Jiaohe. The second phase consists of a field campaign at the site, in order to acquire the necessary data to complement the initial reconstruction: a high-resolution 3D model of the current state of the Northwest Small Temple, 3D models of the statues inside the replica of the temple and imagery of the murals inside the replica. After combining the data from phase one and two, a 3D model of the Northwest Small Temple, completed with textures and statues inside, will be placed on a 3D model of its surroundings. This final 3D model will then be made available to a broad audience as a virtual time machine, allowing the visitors to both experience the site as it is today, as the way it used to be at the peak of the site’s civilisation.Lonneville, B.; Vanhaeren, N.; Vandenbulcke, A.; De Wulf, A.; De Maeyer, P. (2016). BUILDING A VIRTUAL TIME MACHINE FOR THE ANCIENT RUINS OF JIAOHE. En 8th International congress on archaeology, computer graphics, cultural heritage and innovation. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 400-403. https://doi.org/10.4995/arqueologica8.2015.3741OCS40040

On the right track : comfort and confusion in indoor environments

Indoor navigation systems are not well adapted to the needs of their users. The route planning algorithms implemented in these systems are usually limited to shortest path calculations or derivatives, minimalizing Euclidian distance. Guiding people along routes that adhere better to their cognitive processes could ease wayfinding in indoor environments. This paper examines comfort and confusion perception during wayfinding by applying a mixed-method approach. The aforementioned method combined an exploratory focus group and a video-based online survey. From the discussions in the focus group, it could be concluded that indoor wayfinding must be considered at different levels: the local level and the global level. In the online survey, the focus was limited to the local level, i.e., local environmental characteristics. In this online study, the comfort and confusion ratings of multiple indoor navigation situations were analyzed. In general, the results indicate that open spaces and stairs need to be taken into account in the development of a more cognitively-sounding route planning algorithm. Implementing the results in a route planning algorithm could be a valuable improvement of indoor navigation support

Comparing written and photo-based indoor wayfinding instructions through eye fixation measures and user ratings as mental effort assessments

The use of mobile pedestrian wayfinding applications is gaining importance indoors. However, compared to outdoors, much less research has been conducted with respect to the most adequate ways to convey indoor wayfinding information to a user. An explorative study was conducted to compare two pedestrian indoor wayfinding applications, one text-based (Sole-Way) and one image-based (Eyedog), in terms of mental effort. To do this, eye tracking data and mental effort ratings were collected from 29 participants during two routes in an indoor environment. The results show that both textual instructions and photographs can enable a navigator to find his/her way while experiencing no or very little cognitive effort or difficulties. However, these instructions must be in line with a user's expectations of the route, which are based on his/her interpretation of the indoor environment at decision points. In this case, textual instructions offer the advantage that specific information can be explicitly and concisely shared with the user. Furthermore, the study drew attention to potential usability issues of the wayfinding aids (e.g. the incentive to swipe) and, as such, demonstrated the value of eye tracking and mental effort assessments in usability research

3D modelling Yar City : application of UAVs for archaeological research

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On the right track

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Guiding people along more intuitive indoor paths

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Developing Cognitively Simple Wayfinding Systems : A Mixed Method Approach

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