Exploring history: a mobile inclusive virtual tourist guide

Abstract

In the present paper we report on the design decisions and the field test results of an inclusive mobile tourist guide app, the Time Machine. The historical information is conveyed by sound and the navigation information by haptics, while the app can be controlled eyes-free by a combination of on-screen and free-form gestures. To emphasize the eyes-free use, 9 of 11 test users recruited had severe visual impairment or blindness. The field test results show that users find that the Time Machine is fun, stimulating and usable, but also provide valuable information for future designers of inclusive apps/location based services. We argue that the Time Machine provides an exemplar of how one can design inclusively in a way that benefits both users who are sighted and users who have a visual impairment.