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Taipei Metro, since its inception in 1996, has become the most important public transport option for commuters and travelers in the metropolitan Taipei area, delivering over two million daily rides. Nevertheless, the interior environment of Taipei Metro has a reputation for being disorienting, especially to the infrequent passengers. By incorporating the methods of behavioral mapping and visibility analysis, this study argues that the occurrence of disorientation is highly dependent on visual properties of Taipei Metro’s interior layout. Specifically, the number of decision-making stops and the visibility conditions of stairs and escalators are found to be particularly influential. To enhance the passengers’ wayfinding experience, a mobile application comprised of two components is proposed. The Route Planner is to advise the passengers to avoid the areas that cause disorientation, while the Navigator, by providing the panoramic views of certain locations, can help the passengers reach their destinations more easily.

Mobile navigation systems are getting more and more common, and with the rise of smartphones, nearly everyone has access to them via mobile phone apps. Despite the widespread use of mobile apps for navigation, only few solutions for bicyclists exist. These solutions however rely on the user to either look at their phone screen or wear headphones. This poses a risk to the user’s safety by taking away attention from the road conditions. Prior studies have suggested that a vibrotactile navigation system can perform similarly to already existing visual and auditory solutions. Such a system also seems to be less distracting than existing ones. This study presents a working prototype than can be used to navigate urban environments on a bicycle.

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