How 'Fuzziness' Brings About Effects in a Strolling Support System?

Abstract

This paper introduces two strolling support systems that utilize ambiguous information. The first system alerts users to the existence of nearby attractive streets and areas by vibration and visualized characteriza- tion of streets while the second system notifies users of high-frequency photography areas by vibrating the smartphone. The systems only display the distribution of the areas on the screen; they provide no detailed information such as maps and routes. In user studies, 16 participants examined their use while walking around the city. The user studies suggest that the ambiguous information provided by the systems attracts users' attention to surrounding environments and increases the amount of photography and conversation during their walk.