User-Centered Evaluation of an Augmented Reality-based Assistance System for Maintenance

Abstract Mobile Augmented Reality solutions are a promising technology for supporting service technicians in maintenance. The possibilities of augmenting the technicians’ field of vision with virtual information are confronted with the challenges of new forms of interaction and thus changing requirements for the design of user interfaces compared to desktop applications. The optimal interaction between humans and technology remains the decisive criterion for the development of usable interactive systems. Therefore, we have conducted a user-centered evaluation study in this paper and collected both quantitative and qualitative data. In two consecutive laboratory studies and a final field study we could show that user participation has a significant impact on the usability of the developed AR-based assistance system for the maintenance of heating, air conditioning, and cooling systems.