User expectations for mobile mixed reality services: an initial user study
Thomas Olsson, Pirita Johanna Ihamäki, Else Lagerstam, Leena Ventä-Olkkonen, Kaisa Väänänen · European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics · 2009
Mixed reality, i.e. the integration and merging of physical and digital worlds, has become an integral part of the ubicomp research agenda. Often, however, in development of first technology concepts and prototypes, the expectations of potential users are not considered, and the development easily becomes technology-driven. To understand the expectations and needs of potential users of future mobile mixed reality (MMR) services, we conducted altogether five focus group sessions with varying user groups. We investigated the early impressions and expectations of MMR as a technology by evaluating various usage scenarios. Based on this initial study, we found relevance issues (what information to receive, how and when) and the reliability of MMR information to be the most salient elements that were anticipated to affect the overall user experience. In mobile and busy situations the MMR information content has to be something that is very important or useful for the user, especially if receiving the information or interacting with it draws the user's attention away from the tasks executed in the real world.