Usability Evaluation of Augmented Reality: A Neuro-Information-Systems Study

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Neuroscience
• Information Systems

Background:

• Usability testing of emerging technologies requires robust experimental paradigms.
• Traditional usability tests often lack ecological validity for real-world scenarios.
• Neuroscience methods offer objective measures of user experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate an experimental paradigm for usability testing of emerging technologies.
• To compare the usability and cognitive load of Augmented Reality (AR) versus website-based information search.
• To evaluate the impact of AR on consumer decision-making and purchase intention.

Main Methods:

• Employed a mixed-methods approach combining subjective (questionnaires, NASA-TLX) and objective (Neuro-Information-Systems - NeuroIS) evaluations.
• Utilized mobile functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) and eye-tracking glasses for multimodal measurements.
• Used Augmented Reality (AR) integrated with the Internet of Things (IoT) as the experimental technology.

Main Results:

• Information search using AR demonstrated higher efficiency and lower cognitive load compared to website search.
• Neuroimaging and physiological data indicated distinct user responses between AR and website modes.
• Subjective usability data (questionnaire, NASA-TLX) corroborated objective findings.

Conclusions:

• AR integration in retail significantly enhances consumer experience and purchase intention.
• The proposed experimental paradigm effectively assesses the usability of emerging technologies like AR.
• This approach offers a practical solution for user experience research in human-computer interaction with novel technologies.