User Experience of a Haptic Vibration-Based Navigation System: The Role of Directional Tolerance Window

Non-visual navigation systems commonly rely on haptic feedback to guide users toward target locations, yet little research has examined how low-level system parameters influence user-system interaction and navigation performance. The present study investigated how directional tolerance window settings affect feedback availability, navigation efficiency, and subjective user experience in a vibration-based navigation system. Fifteen participants completed outdoor navigation tasks under five tolerance window conditions (±1°, ±3°, ±5°, ±7°, and ±9°). Results showed that larger tolerance windows significantly increased the vibration-on time ratio and reduced task completion time. Mediation analysis further suggested that improvements in navigation efficiency were largely explained by increased feedback availability. Subjective ratings similarly indicated reduced perceived adjustment burden and greater ease of navigation under broader tolerance window settings. Together, the findings highlight the importance of directional tolerance window settings in shaping both system behavior and user experience during non-visual navigation.