Anan Du
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Campus Wayfinding Robot
Project Info:
Problem:
Existing campus navigation tools (such as Lost Campus, Maze Maps, and Google Maps) lack personalization and real-time support, making them insufficient for international students. While interactive kiosks in malls offer multilingual options and accessibility, they are confined to fixed locations and lack dynamic interaction or a sense of accompaniment. These insights inspired us to explore how interactive technology and dynamism could provide more personalized and real-time campus navigation, supporting international students in adapting more smoothly to campus life.
Solution:
To address this problem, we proposed a dual-component interactive navigation system that combines a mobile campus navigation robot with a companion mobile application. The robot provides dynamic on-campus guidance and supports multilingual voice interaction, while the mobile app allows students to summon the robot, check real-time routes, and access campus activity information. In this project, I was responsible for the design of the campus navigation robot itself.
Process:
In the early design stage, our team conducted literature research and six student interviews to identify the core needs of international students in campus wayfinding, such as multilingual support and real-time guidance. The initial concept was a 1.6-meter humanoid robot with a screen, but due to its bulky size, high collision risk, and difficulty of recovery if it fell, I led the iteration toward a smaller robot and integrated a mobile app to enhance interaction convenience. Based on two rounds of user testing, I further optimized the robot in four key areas: energy sustainability, interactivity, safety, and usability. Further details of the design process are illustrated in the visuals below.
