Orientation inquiry: a new haptic interaction technique for non-visual pedestrian navigation

Current mobile navigation systems often require visual attention. This may lead to both inconvenient and unsafe use while walking. In this paper, we are introducing orientation inquiry, a new haptic interaction technique for non-visual pedestrian navigation. In a pilot experiment, the orientation inquiry technique was compared to tactile icons used as vibration patterns indicating the direction of travel. The results suggest that both techniques are suitable for navigation, but the participants preferred orientation inquiry to tactile icons.