HS2
World-first immersive technology creates a new future for passenger movement
Mima and WSP were commissioned by HS2 to develop a new tool to test various aspects of the customer journey, with a particular focus on wayfinding. Using a unique combination of virtual reality (VR), eye-tracking and emotion-sensing technology, we developed a sophisticated tool to trial human responses and engagement with the proposed environment of Old Oak Common station, to gain a deeper understanding of the navigational prompts needed to allow all users to visually interpret their surroundings and to make informed decisions.
Our Task
Mima and WSP were commissioned by HS2 to develop a new tool to test various aspects of the customer journey, with a particular focus on wayfinding and to gain a deeper understanding of the navigational prompts needed to allow all users to visually interpret their surroundings and to make informed decisions.
Our Solution
Mima created a trial used a virtual reality (VR) model of Old Oak Common station integrated with eye-tracking and with emotion tracking technology. Users were tested in this virtual world, using eye-tracking to get objective data on how they interacted with the wayfinding components and perform navigational tasks, as well as how they engaged with advertising and retail in the environment.
The trial was designed to answer the question “are our passengers able to interact with the wayfinding components and perform navigational tasks with minimal effort/ effectively to reach their correct destination and on time i.e. the right train door at the right time while feeling calm and relaxed?”.
76 participants completed the main trial and for the accessibility trial, the Mima team recruited six participants with a range of physical, sensory and cognitive impairments.
The results from the trial showed that passengers were able to interact with the wayfinding components and perform navigational tasks, however, not all of them were able to do this with “minimal effort/ effectively to reach their correct destination and on time i.e. the right train door at the right time while feeling calm and relaxed”. In order to enhance the passenger and wayfinding experience at Old Oak Common Station, and where applicable, line-wide across the HS2 system, evidence-based recommendations in were put forward by Mima to improve the design.
