The authors study the use of an augmented reality (AR) navigation aid that overlays instructions on a real-time view of the road.
To answer whether drivers would be well-served with a navigation aid that overlays augmented reality (AR) content on a live feed from a camera that shows the forward road, the authors conducted a simulator-based study and compared the use of such a navigation aid to the use of a head-up AR aid, as well as to the use of 2D map shown on a head-down display. The results confirm prior results that a head-up AR navigation aid can keep drivers' visual attention on the road, and that drivers like such a navigation aid. The results also indicate that a camera-view AR navigation aid might not be well-received by drivers. Augmented reality navigation aids have been investigated in a number of studies, and results are encouraging, especially for large, head-up displays. However, such displays are not commercially available -- in fact they are rare in laboratories as well. (Published Abstract Provided)