Passenger Guidance at Airport terminals

Problem

Passengers on their way through airports are exposed to a myriad of signposts, signs and information boards;  long, confusing paths to go while changing modalities or hubbing often make things worse. The movement of a passenger within the complex structure of a modern big airport with several terminals can be problematic, mainly because of:

• Loss of orientation:  The passenger losing orientation as a result of the unfamiliar, partially unclear surrounding
• Feeling of insecurity:   The passenger can experience a feeling of uncertainty caused by the loss of orientation
• Intercultural Differences:   Signs, information boards and pictograms can be misinterpreted due to intercultural differences
• Sensory overload:   The passengers attention can be diverted by a high density of optical stimuli, caused by the advancing commercial exploitation of airports

Such a burdensome travel situation can become a negatively affected experience.

Goals

We identify the navigational strategies of passengers on their way through a terminal and the level of distraction caused by the given signage. In doing this, we can assess the value of the currently existing signage. The operators of the airports, on the other hand, can benefit from it by optimizing the passenger routes along chosen waypoints towards points of interests as well as by reducing build-ups.

Method

• Mobile eye-tracking
• Recording the routes they take (tracking)
• Interviews
• Intercultural analysis
• Logging of stress indicators

Modeling of Passenger Routes

Utilizing passenger models allows drawing conclusions about the (re-)design of terminals. Suggestions for the design of the airport signage can be tested without having to conduct costly field tests. Additionally, this method allows proving the value of innovative tools like intelligent personal assistants and electronic guides.

Results

• Enhancement of the passenger guidance and the ground-based right of way
• Schemes of different passenger group’s movement
• Suitable tools for guiding the passengers
• Optimized retailing