Design of an Augmented Reality Interface for Pedestrian Wayfinding in Urban Areas

The purpose of this study is to propose an augmented reality (AR)-based location information indicator and interface design for wayfinding in complex urban environments such as high-rise building clusters, narrow alleys, and indoor complex shopping malls. The study identifies usability issues in the pedestrian wayfinding function of 2D digital map applications and addresses these by leveraging the characteristics of 3D augmented reality. This research explores design approaches to enhance usability, presenting information visualization and interface designs that reflect the medium’s characteristics. The research method includes analysis and goal setting through usability studies, design concretization, and prototype implementation. User observations of mobile map wayfinding and in-depth expert interviews defined the problems and set the goals, focusing on the difficulty of integrating 2D map information into 3D real-world space in real-time and the challenge of intuitively grasping location information. To address these, AR glasses-based wayfinding was proposed, leading to the detailed development of the integrated location information indicator, visualized as a sequence of circular shapes that intuitively convey physical movement. The user interface was divided into ‘walking progress’ and ‘walking pause’ areas based on the user’s viewing angle, each with different location information. The study culminated in the implementation and testing of a 3D integrated location information indicator and user interface prototype, expected to enable users to reach destinations more quickly, accurately, and safely in complex urban environments. Despite technical limitations in the prototype development process, this study significantly proposes a new wayfinding method and user interface design direction utilizing augmented reality’s characteristics.