1. Ricky Jacob rjacob@cs.nuim.ie HapticGPS: Integrating haptic feedback to pedestrian navigation applications http://www.cs.nuim.ie/~rjacob/

2. “A location-based service (LBS) is an information or entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device” Source: Wikipedia, April 2011 What is a Location-Based Service?

3. What is Haptics? … is a tactile feedback technology … takes advantage of our ‘sense of touch’ … by applying forces, vibrations, and/or motions to the user through a device.

4. ‘Visualization’ that isn’t visual

5. Touch 20 times faster than vision We can notice two stimuli just 5 ms apart ‘First sense’ to develop when we are born, We are highly sensitive to vibration up to 1000 Hz (most sensitive at 250 Hz) and the last sense used before death We can sense displacements on our palm as low as 0.2 microns in length Direction in which objects press the skin is not perceived by touch

6. Where is haptics used? From Surgery… … to Wii games

7. Pedestrian Navigation using mobile Maps on mobile with route overlay Textual description Audio feedback Landmark based navigation 3D models Augmented Reality navigation

8. HapticGPS: Integrating haptic feedback to pedestrian navigation applications

9. Haptic Interaction Model Sabrina Paneels and Jonathan C. Roberts Haptic visualization process

10. OpenStreetMap Device used Cloudmade API Our application framework Routing service Spatial data GPS, compass, accelerometer Haptic feedback using vibration alarm in the phone Server Client User

11. This is where we got the data from

12. Schematic diagram of HapticGPS

13. Scans the area for a waypoint Selects destination Moves in that direction User is at a location Gets an alert when he reaches a waypoint Scans the area for next waypoint Continues till he reaches destination How does it work? Gets an alert when he points to the waypoint

14. Test Path OSM: Mapnik TilesZoom to waypoint Walking direction of user

15. Difficult way point

16. Orientation of the Phone

17. Start Point End Point Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 User behaviour while walking

18. Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Walking across open areas and bicycle parking

19. Walk on open areas

20. Users can turn off vibration alert if they feel battery charge is low Switch to color coded buttons for information The display operates as follows: Color coded buttons Reached a waypoint, now scan the area to find next waypoint Pointing in the direction of the next way point You are yet to reach a way point

21. User comments User 4: “I liked this application as it did not need me to know how to use a map on the mobile phone”. User 5: “I did not look into the screen of the phone even once during the entire trip, and with so many people around on the path, it was useful as I was always moving and very rarely was standing still”. User 3: responded in relation to the decision making required at the critical points in the routes. “If I was at a position in the route where there were many choices I got a little frustrated if I was receiving negative feedback from the phone”. User 5: “I would only use the application in places where I was a complete stranger as I am likely to take random shortcuts upon routes that I am very familiar with”.

22. Some key findings and beneficial outcomes Users take more time to decide where to go when at a complex road intersection/junction People tend to walk across open areas: we need routing algorithms that will take this into consideration Provide navigation for people in noisy, crowded and/or unfamiliar environments. The user can interact with the real environment and people around rather than the mobile device. Haptic feedback enables a ‘heads-up’ interaction between the user and the mobile device.

23. “Crowded streets of India” Visually impaired A snowy day Where/When to use Haptics? A sunny dayHand full with shopping bags A rainy day

24. T. Amemiya …developed a haptic direction indicator, which will help blind pedestrians intuitively and safely escape from dangerous area by means of haptic navigation L.R. Elliott and J.B.F. van Erp – [ Vibrotactile waist belt ] a soldier in combat, a firefighter trying to navigate a smoke-filled building a hiker traversing new terrain a tourist trying to find a local landmark while enjoying scenery, navigate without having to hold and look at a display—thus allowing him or her the freedom to attend to whatever is most important at that time. M. Pielot … tactile wayfinder freed the participants’ attention but could not keepup with the navigation system in terms of navigation performance S. Robinson …pedestrian navigation using bearing-based haptic feedback. The benefits listed by using a haptic feedback based system includes the ‘heads-up’ approach.

25. There is scope to improve pedestrian navigation applications by including another modality - Haptics

26. Indoor localization and positioning

27. Walking followed by standing still Understand user movements Walking downstairs from first floor

28. Point2Query: Straight line

29. Point2Query: Across a region

30. Point2Query: ‘L’ shaped

31. Comments and Feedback! rjacob@cs.nuim.ie Do you see Haptics being used as an alternate modality when vision based Location-based services are so popular? What other information can be conveyed to the user? Where else can haptics be used? On smartphones - is it useful outside the domain of pedestrian navigation?