A study on attention guidance in AR for target localization

This work presents a design framework for AR attention-guiding cues in target localization tasks. Localization tasks involve identifying a target, moving toward it, and monitoring changes in the surrounding environment. Maintaining awareness of target-related information is challenging in real-world settings, where clutter, occlusion, and competing perceptual demands are present. AR provides a suitable environment for attention guidance because virtual cues can align with real-world targets and use sensory channels appropriate for the task and context. To understand how attention-guidance cues should express target-related information and remain noticeable in real-world localization settings, we conducted an ideation workshop with experts and novice users. Integrating perceptual and attentional perspectives, we analyzed ideas from the workshop and derived a design framework that structures attention-guidance cue design through four dimensions: What, How, Where, and When. We illustrate the framework through representative localization scenarios, including target finding, route following, and progress tracking. We conducted a two-stage evaluation to examine how well the framework supports real-world design and whether cues created with it help users perform localization tasks effectively.