Smart Audio Navigation for Public Bikes

Abstract

This thesis leverages the Bose Frames’ capabilities to build an application for sound-based navigation. Not only should it guide users to their destination as efficiently as possible, but also distract them as little as possible from their surroundings, so that they can travel safely. The usability for different modes of transportation, combining pedestrian navigation with bicycle navigation via the PubliBike bike-sharing service is evaluated.

Further, it measures the effects of using spatial sound to deliver instructions that are given with respect to the user’s orientation. The approach to use head gestures to interact with the application during navigation is evaluated as well. Additionally, it investigates the benefits of this platform and compares it to visual-based navigation systems, especially in terms of mobile attention and traffic safety.

To evaluate the usability of the application and validate the hypotheses, two user studies were conducted. 26 participants in total tested the application on three different routes in total. The application was successfully leading all participants a the given destination. Subjects performing a navigation task with the Bose device reached the first waypoint slightly faster, compared to subjects using only a map on their mobile phone. Overall, users with visual guidance were faster and made less errors. Fewer interactions with the mobile device in traffic were recorded for the users wearing the Bose Frames. No statement could be made about the benefit on spatial sound, as there were not enough participants to get valid results.