Evaluating User Acceptance and Usability of AR-Based Indoor Navigation in a University Setting: An Empirical Study

This paper presents the development and usability evaluation of a mobile augmented reality (AR) application designed to support indoor navigation within a higher education setting. The system offers real-time visual and audio guidance without requiring additional infrastructure, leveraging spatial anchors, QR code initialization, and compatibility with both ARCore and ARKit platforms. Users can select destinations such as classrooms, offices, and restrooms, and follow augmented reality overlays to reach them efficiently. A review of existing AR navigation systems highlights current technological approaches and gaps in user-centered research, particularly within academic institutions. Building on these findings, the proposed application was tested in a large-scale empirical study involving 256 students, situated in the context of spatial computing within a university environment. Data collection was based on the System Usability Scale and the Technology Acceptance Model, with four research hypotheses examining ease of use, usefulness, system responsiveness, and continued usage intention. Results revealed significant correlations between intuitive design and usability scores, as well as between perceived usefulness and behavioral intention to reuse the application. These findings reinforce the value of user-centered design in developing infrastructure-free mobile AR systems and demonstrate their potential to improve spatial orientation in complex educational building.

@article{Marian-Vladut2025,
  title     = {Evaluating User Acceptance and Usability of AR-Based Indoor Navigation in a University Setting: An Empirical Study},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {16},
  number    = {4},
  year      = {2025},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {Toma Marian-Vladut and Turcu Corneliu Octavian and Pascu Paul},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160406},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160406}
}