Directional Progress Indicator for Visualizing Off-Screen Point-of-Interest in Handheld Augmented Reality

This study introduces a novel visualization technique for off-screen Points of Interest (POIs) in handheld augmented reality (AR) environments, specifically within the context of the ARTimeWalk platform. This photo-sharing AR platform allows users to view historical photos at their original locations. Traditional methods have struggled to effectively signal the presence of off-screen POIs in handheld AR due to limited screen space and narrow fields of view. The proposed solution integrates a progress indicator with icons to intuitively display the direction and type of off-screen POIs, enhancing user experience by providing clearer directional cues and content information. The methodology includes a progress indicator composed of three elements: Arrowhead, Circular progress ring, and POI icon, indicating the necessary rotation angle and the nature of the content respectively. An evaluation involving seven participants demonstrated that the new technique significantly reduces the time required to discover POIs, providing an efficient and user-friendly navigation experience in AR environments.