Design a Mobile Augmented Reality System to Facilitate Users’ Companionship Needs

Abstract

With smartphones and wearable communication and information technologies (ICT) ubiquitous, mobile augmented reality systems (MARS) open up various opportunities for users to experience and interact with virtual information at physical locations. For example, MARS has been developed to provide information about destinations and attractions for tourists. Currently, prior studies mainly focused on the MARS recommendations from tourist organizations and professionals so there is a lack of design studies of MARS recommendations from users’ social networks. A “See What I See” MARS has been designed based on prior research findings on tourists’ companionship needs from their social networks and from their mobile devices. It is a user-generated “Situated Documentary” MARS for users to navigate new places based on their networks’ recommendations. A prototype was built and tested. Results show that users report the MARS is highly easy to use and useful, enhancing users’ experiences in a positive way. Users feel positive companionship from their friends and family members when they use the MARS at new places.