MARINS: A Mobile Smartphone AR System for Pathfinding in a Dark Environment.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Navigation Systems
• Emergency Evacuation Technology

Background:

• Traditional evacuation routes rely on clear visibility and unobstructed paths, which are compromised in low-light or hazardous environments.
• Obstacles and disorientation can significantly impede safe and efficient emergency egress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a mobile augmented reality indoor navigation system (MARINS) for guiding users to exits in zero-lux conditions.
• To assess the effectiveness of MARINS in reducing travel time, distance, and misjudgments compared to traditional navigation methods.

Main Methods:

• Developed MARINS using Apple ARKit SDK and a Unity platform, incorporating simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM).
• Tested the system in a maze scenario, comparing travel time and distance between an experimental group using MARINS and a control group using traditional maps.
• Utilized a smartphone's LED for path illumination in a 0-lux environment.

Main Results:

• MARINS significantly reduced travel time and distance compared to traditional maps.
• The system demonstrated higher usability and fewer misjudgments than traditional navigation methods.
• Experimental group showed improved navigation efficiency in both known spaces and total summation.

Conclusions:

• MARINS provides a viable solution for indoor navigation and evacuation in challenging low-light environments.
• Augmented reality navigation systems offer superior performance and usability over traditional methods for emergency egress.
• The developed system enhances safety and efficiency during critical evacuation scenarios.