Aspects of personal navigation with collaborative user feedback

Inspired by systems based on user generated content, we have developed a prototype named OurWay, a collaborative route planning system utilizing user feedback (rating of route segments) to provide quality routes adapted to the users ’ abilities and needs. We report from an indoor experiment where users in wheelchairs solved navigational tasks with our prototype. Log data, observations, and interviews serve as a basis for discussing the feasibility of the Our-Way concept. We find that OurWay yields better routes for all users with aggregated route segment ratings produced throughout the experiment. However, ratings were largely produced by each individual to accomplish a selfish goal, namely that of solving a navigational task. In this respect, rating can be seen as a by-product of use, rather than as an intentional action on behalf of a community.