Human-centred mobile pedestrian navigation systems

Abstract

People in unfamiliar environments often need assistance to reach a destination. Mobile pedestrian navigation systems are designed for this purpose. Currently, many pedestrian navigation systems still adopt the methods employed in car navigation systems. Research has shown that information needs of pedestrians are quite different from those of car drivers. Therefore, approaches related to car navigation systems are not appropriate for designing systems for pedestrians. In recognizing the challenges, we propose the concept of human-centred pedestrian navigation systems, which recognize the needs and constraints of pedestrians, and provide an optimized usefulness (usability and utility) to support pedestrian navigation. This article presents our recent efforts towards these concerns, mainly focusing on route planning and route communication.