Is the Shortest Path Always the Best? Analysis of General Demands of Indoor Navigation System for Shopping Malls

Indoor navigation systems are basic services for shopping malls. However, the design and implementation of such systems are seldom studied, with most current indoor navigation systems showing the static route for the shortest distance, which causes confusion or even danger for users. Therefore, this paper analyzes the general demand for indoor navigation systems for shopping malls based on 498 questionnaires and the Kano model. The results of the study unveil three important functions, as outlined by “Congestion/emergency section avoidance”, “Vertical elevator first”, and “Passing by a particular type of store”. The relationship between users’ characteristics and shopping behavior is also discovered. Comparing this with the existing literature in terms of user demands research for indoor navigation, the general demand analysis method based on the Kano model of this paper is able to reveal the user accreditation degree towards different functions of indoor navigation systems in shopping malls. The findings of this paper provide insight into users’ behaviors and preferences, which will benefit further studies on indoor navigation systems for shopping malls.

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