How AR you scanning? Exploring Scanning Behavior in Augmented Reality The influence of age and clutter on scanning behavior assessed using the Microsoft HoloLens 2

Abstract

Investigating scanning behavior, which involves purposeful searching and undirected looking, is crucial to understand how individuals process information and make decisions within their environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the usability of the Microsoft HoloLens 2 and assess how age and clutter affect scanning behavior within AR. Data was collected from 14 Dutch-speaking participants with ages ranging from 21 to 87 years. The participants played an AR game: a virtual museum. The objective of the game was to locate ten paintings. The participants played the game twice (once in a low- and once in a high-density cluttered room). Data was collected through eye and head tracking and fixations, fixation duration, leftward and rightwards head movements and stationary head positions were obtained. The study revealed no relation between age and eye parameters (fixations and fixation duration). There was a positive relation found between age and stationary head position but not for left and rightward head movements. There was no significant effect of clutter on the eye parameters. However, participants did make more head movements in the high-density cluttered room compared to the low-density cluttered room. The participants demonstrated a scanning pattern that primarily focused on the extreme left and right directions. Future research should include a larger number of older participants, include observational data, and aim for patient groups. These findings hold implications for the design and implementation of AR, as well as for gaining insights into potential interventions aimed at enhancing scanning behavior in augmented reality environments.