Browsing by Author "Samson, Frank"

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Accessibility Features for Augmented Reality Indoor Navigation Systems
(Springer Link, 2024-06-29) Samson, Frank; Dida, Mussa; Leo, Judith; Shidende, Deogratias; Naman, Godfrey
Accessibility plays a pivotal role in developing technological tools that strive to promote inclusivity for users of all abilities. Regrettably, many technological advancements have traditionally disregarded accessibility, assuming homogeneous user abilities or treating it as an afterthought. This paper endeavors to provide a review of accessibility considerations on augmented reality indoor navigation systems, to enhance navigational experiences in indoor learning environments. To achieve this, interviews were conducted with visually impaired individuals, to investigate their existing methods of navigation, identify challenges they face, and uncover potential accessibility features that could enhance indoor navigation systems. Additionally, a literature review was undertaken to explore various accessibility features in the context of indoor navigation systems, including localization technologies and pathfinding algorithms employed in indoor navigation applications. Finally, the paper concludes by offering insights into accessibility features specifically tailored for individuals with visual impairments, to facilitate efficient indoor navigation.
Accessible Augmented Reality Chemistry Lab for Students in Developing Countries
(IEEE, 2024-05-20) Samson, Frank; Shidende, Deogratias; Moebs, Sabine
This study explores the challenges of teaching science, especially chemistry, in developing countries, with a focus on Tanzania. It highlights the issues of insufficient teaching resources, limited educator capacity, and inadequate infrastructure, which undermine educational quality and student performance. Despite government initiatives such as free education, the lack of resources for practical sessions and accessible materials for science persists, significantly affecting inclusive learning environments. To address these challenges, the study introduces the development of an Augmented Reality (AR) Lab tool designed to enhance learning experiences. This mobile app-based AR tool allows students to visualize and interact with chemical concepts without a physical lab, aiming to improve accessibility, especially for visually impaired learners. The study employed a case study methodology at St. Jude Secondary School, using mixed data collection methods, including focus groups to gather user stories focused on safety, familiarity with lab apparatus, and accessibility features of people with visual impairment. These stories guided the agile scrum development of the AR tool. Results demonstrate that the AR tool significantly enhances learning outcomes by increasing accessibility, motivation, performance, immersion, and engagement, offering a promising solution to the educational challenges faced in developing countries.
Development of an accessible augmented reality application to enhance indoor navigation: a case of higher learning institutions
(NM-AIST, 2024-08) Samson, Frank
This study focused on developing an accessible Augmented Reality (AR) application to enhance indoor navigation, using a case study of learning institutions. A case of The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology and Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University institutions were selected for this study. The project’s objectives included gathering requirements for the development and understanding of the challenges faced by students, staff, and visitors who can be visually or non-visually impaired while navigating indoors in unfamiliar buildings. The project's significance lies in its potential to enhance indoor mobility, and accessibility, save time, and foster innovation in education technology. The application aims to create a more inclusive learning environment by improving indoor navigation. Primary data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions, creating a foundation requirement for developing the application. The study used Scrum Agile methodology to develop the application and web portal from the collected user requirements. The application was designed to run on smartphones and further, a web-based portal was designed for staff to update their visitor availability status. Development tools such as Unity, Microsoft Visual Studio, PHP, Python, and APIs were used. This study highlights the challenge of indoor navigation in higher learning institutions and the limited effectiveness of current solutions, especially for people with disabilities particularly the visually impaired. Leveraging AR technology, known for enhancing real-world perception by overlaying virtual content on top of users' real-world views, a user-friendly and accessible indoor navigation application was developed. 80% of the results demonstrated the effectiveness and usability of the application, with positive feedback from users highlighting its potential to transform the indoor navigation experience. In conclusion, the study underscores the need for further research to enhance indoor navigation, localization, and accessibility for a diverse range of users and use cases. i