An evaluation of conversational interfaces for pedestrian navigation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Information Technology, Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

Abstract

The aim of this research was to compare the performance between the OsmAnd application and three types of conversational interface, to test whether the conversational interface is a more preferred navigation tool. We designed and tested four different navigation systems; the map with command interface, the conversational-only interface, the conversational with map interface, and the conversational with image interface. The research involved 100 participants who had different levels of experience when using navigation systems. Participants were divided into three groups and were given different navigation interfaces. This research was conducted with both quantitative and qualitative usability testing along a pre-defined route in Massey University campus, combined with a USE questionnaire to gain the user’s feedback. The results indicated that both the OsmAnd and the conversational interface were good in different criteria. However, most participants preferred using the conversational interface more than the visual interface.