Why would individuals use indoor positioning systems? A study from a potential user interface perspective

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Ubiquitous Computing
• Information Systems

Background:

• Indoor positioning systems (IPS) are crucial for navigation in complex indoor environments but face limited real-world adoption.
• Early-stage acceptance evaluation is vital for understanding user intentions towards novel IPS technologies.
• Existing research often focuses on technical aspects, with less emphasis on user acceptance factors for prototype IPS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the early-stage acceptance of indoor positioning systems (IPS) using a user interface (UI) mock-up.
• To identify key factors influencing potential users' behavioral intention to adopt IPS based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2).
• To provide practical insights for designing user-centric IPS prototypes.

Main Methods:

• An interactive, task-based UI mock-up of IPS functions was developed for a university setting.
• The study employed the UTAUT2 model to assess potential user acceptance with a pooled sample of 181 participants across three data collections.
• Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrap confidence intervals was used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Performance expectancy (β=0.585) was the strongest predictor of behavioral intention towards IPS.
• Social influence (β=0.179), price value (β=0.179) for a €0.99 fee, and habit (β=0.179) also positively influenced intention (R²=0.781).
• Effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and hedonic motivation did not show significant positive associations; a negative age × price value interaction was observed.

Conclusions:

• Performance-related beliefs are dominant in the early formation of user intention for IPS.
• IPS prototype design should prioritize features that minimize uncertainty, time costs, and search efforts.
• Findings extend UTAUT2 to IPS UI evaluation, highlighting the need to communicate performance benefits clearly, though limitations regarding real-world technical frictions exist.