Identifying what constitutes complexity perception of decision points during indoor route guidance

To be able to design indoor wayfinding systems that adhere better to the needs of the users, user perception on complexity needs to be examined and linked to user characteristics and decision point characteristics. To identify how these characteristics influence perception, an online survey is executed in which participants had to indicate how complex they found a decision point, while interpreting a route instruction. The results show that complexity ratings depend both on user characteristics and on the function of the decision point. Decision points to change levels, start or end a route and to take turns each received significantly different complexity ratings. Isovist and visibility graph analysis characteristics of these decision points show that the first two actions were perceived as more complex when they took place in a narrow hallway, while the third action was perceived as more complex in a convex space. The results of this study can be used in the design of an adaptive wayfinding system that adapts the route instructions to the perceived decision point complexity. This adaptation will adhere better to the needs of the users compared to an adaptation based on solely theoretical complexity.

Automated summary

The study found that users rated decision points related to changing levels, starting or ending routes, and taking turns differently in terms of complexity, with ratings influenced by both user characteristics and decision point functions. This information can be used to design an adaptive wayfinding system that adjusts route instructions based on perceived decision point complexity, better meeting user needs compared to solely theoretical complexity-based adaptations.