CycleMate

Prepared by
Julie Agboola
Veysel Cetiner
Shaun Fleming
Alex Zhu

juliea_419@hotmail.com
v.cetiner@gmail.com
spfjr@umd.edu
alexqzhu@gmail.com

December 7, 2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Abstract .... 3
2. Credits ...... 4
3. Introduction .. 5
4. Discussion of Previous Work ... 6
i. Commercial System .. 6
ii. Academic Papers 7
iii. Relevant Web Sites .. 8
5. Presentation of Design ... 9
a. Targeting Users ..... 9
b. System Interaction .... 9
c. Prototype Screenshots .. 11
i. Main Screen ... 11
ii. Map 12
iii. Map #2 ....... 13
iv. Directions ... 14
v. Weather ...... 15
vi. Emergency ..... 16
vii. Tutorial #1 ..... 17
viii. Tutorial #2 ..... 18
ix. Tutorial #3 . 19
x. Tutorial #4 ..... 20
6. Development Process .... 21
a. Low-Fidelity Prototype ..... 21
b. High-Fidelity Prototype .... 26
c. Usability Test. 31
7. Conclusion 35
a. Current Status ... 35
b. Future Work ..... 35
c. Acknowledgements .. 36
d. References 37
8. Appendix .. 39
a. Test Subjects . 39
b. Bar Graphs .... 42
c. Post-test Questionnaire Analysis ....... 43
d. Problems Addressed .. 43
2

ABSTRACT
Navigating your way through an unfamiliar area can be a daunting task. One can easily
get lost and have difficulty finding their way back, putting one in potential danger. Even those
who are familiar with a certain area may need assistance knowing the fastest and safest routes to
get from one place to another. CycleMate was designed to serve those needs. CycleMate is a
global positioning system for bicyclists to easily find their way around the University of
Maryland, College Park campus and surrounding areas. This is intended for everyone who is
either visiting or affiliated with the University of Maryland. Users can range from frequent bike
riders or occasional bike riders.

CREDITS
Julie

proposal
introduction
abstract
descriptions of commercial systems, academic papers, relevant web sites
low-fidelity prototype tutorial
report on development process
post-test questions
50% usability tests + report
25% references

Veysel

outline of tasks and system requirements and capabilities

high-fidelity prototype + tutorial
40% redesign
25% references

Shaun

user tasks
low-fidelity prototype interface
40% redesign
25% references

Alex

system requirements and capabilities

presentation of design
pre-test questions
50% usability tests + report
20% redesign
conclusion
25% references

INTRODUCTION
The bike GPS navigation system is designed for bicyclists that want a better sense of how
to get around the College Park area, mainly the University of Maryland campus. This system is
targeted generally towards those who ride their bicycles in those areas, based on their experience
level and how often they ride their bikes. This system would be very beneficial towards those
who do not know their way around the areas well, especially college freshman who are coming
from different areas of the country and foreign countries. Even those who know their way around
very well may find this system useful by using other various features. We are targeting those who
want a convenient and easy way to find their way around the College Park area. This system will
be catered towards those of various experience levels and knowledge of the overall area. The
goal is to design a system that helps as many bicyclists as possible.
The bike GPS will provide the user with instructions on how to get to their destination,
where the local bike shops are, where to go for emergencies, what the weather will be like, etc.
With preloaded destinations, the user can choose a bike route, rather than typing in a destination
themselves.
This system will serve a wide range of users, those who ride their bikes often, those who
are very familiar with the area and those who are not, students and faculty at the University of
Maryland, residents, and visitors. Bicyclists who are new to the area or who do not ride their
bikes frequently are most likely to use the navigation features to find bike routes throughout the
area. They can choose from a list of preloaded destinations.
The bike GPS will be designed for anyone who rides their bike in the College Park area.
The system will be designed in such a way that people can find their way around College Park
with ease, whether it be parking lots, residence halls, nearby shops, etc.
There are very similar products out there on the market that are similar to our system.
Our goal was to differentiate our system from those that already exist. This is in terms of
functionality, various capabilities, practicality, and usefulness. They are listed below, as well as,
our resources used for research.

DISCUSSION OF PREVIOUS WORK

Commercial Systems
Title: Garmin
Publisher and Date: Garmin Ltd, 1996-2006
Site: http://www.garmin.com
This is the official web site of Garmin, which is a group of companies that designs,
manufactures, and markets navigation and communications equipment for aviation and consumer
markets. The GPS systems they develop are for automobiles, motorcycles, hiking, running,
cycling, cell phones, personal travel assistants, laptops, PDAs, etc. They have two bike GPS
systems: Edge 205 and Edge 305. They both have the following features: easy installation,
high-sensitivity GPS receiver, customizable cycle computer, ability to race virtual competitors,
ability to race against recorded course, automatic pause, automatic lap, software for creating
workouts, managing and downloading courses, and creating a detailed post-ride analysis that
charts your performance. The unit attaches to the stem or handlebars of a bicycle. Those two
products have more options for users to choose from. CycleMate is meant as an affordable
device for those to navigate through the University of Maryland campus. We wanted to focus on
the more important and useful capabilities that users wanted.
Title: Magellan
Publisher and Date: Magellan Navigation, Inc, 2006
Site: http://www.magellangps.com/
This is the official web site of Magellan, the leader in consumer, survey, GIS, and OEM GPS
navigation and positioning markets. They have GPS systems for driving, backpacking, camping,
boating, fishing, biking, geocaching, skiing, snowshoeing, and hunting. Their products are
available in both North America and Europe. Their products cover a wider range of users. Our
system is limited to bicycle users, but some of our features are similar to theirs. Some of the
features of their bike GPS systems are: color screen, compass, barometric pressure altimeter,
barometer and thermometers, built-in maps, SD-card expandability, simple file system, USB data
port, area calculation, water resistance, different languages, etc. CycleMate has built-in maps and
calculates the fastest routes to get from one place to another.
Title: TomTom RIDER
Publisher and Date: TomTom International BV, 2006
Site: http://www.tomtom.com/products/features.php?ID=146&Category=1&Lid=1
On this web page, there is a description of the TomTom Rider, which is the first portable
navigator for motorbikes and scooters. It is operated by using a gloves and a touch screen. This
product differs from ours in that it is intended for different modes of transportation. It does not
appear to be functional on bicycles. It needs to be plugged in order to work, which does not seem
possible on a bicycle. The features include: turn-by-turn spoken instructions, dynamic status bar,
6

tip feature, water resistance, bike speed, itinerary planning, etc. The CycleMate does not have
these features, but we have text directions instead of audio instructions.

Academic Papers
Title: The global positioning system: theory and applications
Authors: Parkinson, Bradford W.; Spilker, James J., Jr.
Publication: The global positioning system: theory and applications/ edited by Bradford W.
Parkinson, James J. Spilker, Jr.; associate editors, Penina Axelrad, Per Enge. Washington, DC:
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1996. Progress in astronautics and
aeronautics; v. 163-164.
Title: Moving Beyond Observed Outcomes: Integrating Global Positioning Systems and
Interactive Computer-Based Travel Behaviour Surveys
Authors: Doherty, Sean T.; Nol, Nathalie; Gosselin, Martin-Lee; Sirois, Claude; Ueno, Mami;
and Theberge, Franois.
Publication: Transportation Research Circular: Personal Travel: The Long and Short of It.
Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C. (in preparation).
(6,397 words, 6 figures, 15 pages)
This paper focuses on the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to enhance and extend
travel behavior survey methods. The paper first describes the testing of a passive vehicle-based
GPS tracking system in Quebec City, and then describes the development of algorithms with a
Geographic Information System (GIS) that can be used to automatically match the GPS data to
road segments along a network, and identify stops along the way.
Title: Using Global Positioning Systems and Personal Digital Assistants
for Personal Travel Surveys in the United States
Authors: Murakami, Elaine; Wagner, David P.; and Neumeister, David M.
Information about daily travel patterns is generally captured using self-reported
information from a written diary and telephone retrieval (or mail-back of diary forms).
Problems with these self-reported methods include lack of reporting for short trips, poor
data quality on travel start and end times, total trip times, and destination locations.

Other Relevant Websites

Title: GPS World
Publisher and Date: Questex Media Group, Inc, 2006
Site: http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/
This is the official web site of GPS World magazine, which covers the global positioning
industry. They provide information on the latest GPS news and products, which is used by many
corporate managers, product designers, researchers, and system developers in the GPS industry.
Their magazine not only covers GPS systems from the United States, but all over the world.
Title: Trimble
Publisher and Date: Trimble Navigation Ltd, 2006
Site: http://www.trimble.com/gps/index.shtml
This site contains a tutorial on how GPS works. Trimble integrates a wide range of positioning
technologies including GPS, laser, optical and inertial technologies with application software,
wireless communications, and services to provide complete commercial solutions. Its integrated
solutions allow customers to collect, manage and analyze complex information faster and easier,
making them more productive, efficient and profitable.

PRESENTATION OF DESIGN
The Users:
The primary users of this product are those who ride their bike around the College Park area (the
system can be further extended to other areas in the future). We came up with several scenarios
where this device can be useful.

a business major student needs to go to the Engineering building for the first time
a student gets injured in the middle of the night, when there is no one around
a student wants to know the weather forecast to decide if an umbrella is necessary
a students bike is damaged, he/she needs to know the closest bicycle repair shop

System Interaction:
Since most of the operations performed by the device will be done while the user is riding their
bike, for convenience purposes, the device will have a touch screen for easy access. Also, for
safety purposes, the device would also have some kind of shockproof system to prevent it from
being damaged. The device also can be detachable from the bike, so the user can carry it with
them when they are not on the bike, to prevent it from being stolen.

Figure 1.1 An actual GPS unit, an idea of what our device would look like

On this device, the font will be large enough so the user can get the information at a first glance,
but not too big, so there is enough space to display the map. All the operations can be done by
touching the screen, such as, going forward or backward on the map, selecting a location, etc.
The menu structure of the system is broad and shallow. Users should not have to do more than
two operations to achieve their goal.

Figure 1.2 - Transition Diagram

This diagram represents the screens in the CycleMate prototype. From the menu screen, the user
can access the Map, Directions, Weather, Emergency, and Tutorial. Each screen has a link on the
top left that goes to the main screen. Also, Map, Directions, Emergency, and Weather are
accessible by each of the other screens. For example, in the Directions screen, the user can
access Map, Weather, and Emergency. In the Map screen, the user can access the Directions,
Weather, and Emergency. From the Weather screen, the user can access Directions, Map, and
Emergency. While on the Emergency screen, the user can access Directions, Map and Weather.

10

Prototype Screenshots
For our final design, we decided that our program will have four major functions: Map,
Direction, Weather, and Emergency. The program also has a Tutorial function which will guide
first-time users on how to use the program.

Figure 2.1 Main Screen

This is the main screen where user can access the systems functions: Map, Weather, Directions,
Emergency, and Tutorial. The user can access each via touch screen.

11

Figure 2.2 Map Screen #1

The Map screen is designed for users that are curious about their position relative to a road map,
with additional information regarding directions and locations in the area. We added an animated
bicycle object to traverse the route, like a simulation.
The user can scroll up, down, left, right to see more of their surroundings. The Map screen
displays the users location, which is superimposed on the map of the current surrounding area.
The users location is updated in real time as they travel via GPS Satellite Technology. Each time
the user reaches a node, the system tells the user where to go to next and which direction (i.e.
Go East towards Hornbake Plaza).
The Map screen contains links to: Directions, Weather, and Emergency, making it easier for the
user to navigate the system.

12

Figure 2.3 - Map Screen #2

The message Destination Reached immediately appears when the user reaches their
destination.

13

Figure 2.4 Directions Screen

The Directions screen is where the user chooses from a list of preloaded destinations in the
College Park area. For easy accessibility, there are links to Map, Weather, and Emergency.
When the user presses Calculate Route, they are directed to the Map screen, which shows
detailed directions from the users current location, which is determined by the GPS Satellite
Technology, to a destination. The user will be asked to select a destination from a pre-loaded
destination, which is on a drop-down menu. After that, the user presses the Calculate Route
button, which will compute the shortest route from the users current location to the destination,
and show it on the map.
The ability for the user to enter in a destination would be available if the system is upgraded.

14

Figure 2.5 Weather Screen

The weather information on the Weather screen is obtained from Yahoos XML RSS feed. The
option offers information on the current weather conditions. The weather characteristics
includes: the date, current temperature, current weather conditions, and forecast.
The weather screen contains links to Map, Direction, and Emergency for easy navigation.

15

Figure 2.6 Emergency Screen

On the Emergency screen, there are two buttons, one to notify the police for personal safety or
criminal activity emergency, and another one for medical emergency. All the user needs to do is
hit the button, and policy/EMS will be notified. It also contains links to other options of the
system: Map, Direction, and Weather.

16

Figure 2.7 Tutorial #1

When the user clicks the Tutorial button on the main screen, there are instructions on how to use
the Directions screen.
There are navigation buttons at the bottom to help the user browse the Tutorial screens.

17

Figure 2.8 Tutorial #2

When the user clicks the Next button from the previous screen (Figure 2.7), there are instructions
on how to use the Map screen.

18

Figure 2.9 Tutorial #3

When the user clicks the Next button from the previous screen (Figure 2.8), there are instructions
on how to use the Weather screen.

19

Figure 2.10 Tutorial #4

When the user clicks the Next button from the previous screen (Figure 2.9), there are instructions
on how to use the Emergency screen.

20

DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Low-fidelity prototype
Main Screen: Find, Emergency, Settings
1. Find
a. Places of Interest
i. Find Location Browse, Search
ii. Favorites Browse, Search (can be sorted by distance, user can enter
search criteria)
iii. Random Enter distance (optional)
b. Routes
i. Favorites Browse, Search (can be sorted by distance, user can enter
search criteria)
ii. Preloaded Browse, Search (can be sorted by distance, user can enter
search criteria)
c. Stores
i. Bike Repair
ii. Refreshment
d. Racks Enter distance (optional), (list of bike rack locations)
2. Emergency
a. Find Emergency Blue Lights Browse, Search (can be sorted by distance, user
can enter search criteria)
b. Local Emergency Numbers Browse, Search (can be sorted by distance, user can
enter search criteria)
c. Local Hospitals Browse, Search (can be sorted by distance, user can enter
search criteria)
d. Local Police Stations Browse, Search (can be sorted by distance, user can enter
search criteria)
3. Settings
a. Button Configuration Right-handed (which is current configuration, changes to
Left-handed when pressed, also explanation at the top saying "Switch primary and
secondary buttons")

21

Settings
Button Configuration Right-handed (which is the current configuration; it can be switched to
left-handed)

Figure 3.1 Main Menu

When user turns on bike GPS unit, the menu option appears.

22

Figure 3.2 Submenus

Submenus appear as the user selects the Menu option by clicking the enter button, which can
either be on the bottom left or right, depending on the button configuration.

23

Figure 3.3 Places of Interest

When the Places of Interest menu is selected, additional submenus appear (Random, Favorites,
Find Location).

24

Figure 3.4 Find Location

When user selects Find Location, the user enters a desired destination. As the user enters the
destination, a list of possible locations appears on the screen, which facilitates the searching
process.

25

High-Fidelity Prototype

Figure 4.1 Main Screen

After a few tests, we realized that the previous menu was not efficient. We redesigned the main
menu in a broad and shallow style, as opposed to a deep and narrow. We also added Map and
Weather options. We changed Find to Directions to make it more clear to the user.

26

Figure 4.2 Map Screen

We came up with the Map option so that the user could navigate the map. This is so that the user
can see where they are going in real time. Also, there is a link to the main screen, Directions,
Weather, and Emergency.

27

Figure 4.3 - Directions Screen

This serves the same functionality as the Find button in the low-fidelity prototype. The user
enters in a destination address. The system will calculate the shortest route from the users
current location to the desired destination. There is also a link to other options: Map, Weather,
and Emergency.

28

Figure 4.4 Weather Screen

We added a Weather screen so that the user could get up-to-date information on the weather, in
terms of the current temperature, UV Index, wind speeds, humidity, air pressure, dew point, and
visibility. This is so that the user can plan ahead and avoid riding their bike in inclement weather.

29

Figure 4.5 - Emergency Screen

We improved the Emergency screen to make it more readable and easier to use. There are links
to other screens: Directions, Map, and Weather. This allows the user to alert the police or
emergency medical services in case of an emergency.

30

Usability Testing
Our main goal was to figure out how to suit each persons needs. In order to do this, we went out
and searched for various kinds of users. The subjects consisted of those who rode their bikes
often on campus and those who rode only occasionally. Before beginning each test, we informed
each user about privacy and consent issues. They had to sign a form indicating that they
volunteered to be tested on their own free will, knew ahead of time which tasks to complete, and
could withdraw from the usability test at any time.
We gave users an introduction to our bike GPS system, giving an overview of what it does, what
our intent was, and what tasks to complete. This was done so that the user knew ahead of time
what to expect. Since this was not an actual, concrete device and there was no physical bike to
test the system on, we had to use an alternative way to mimic an actual GPS system. We used a
bike simulation and a random hypothetical starting point, instead of using a GPS to pinpoint the
users actual location.
The users were given a series of six questions to get an idea of the types of users testing our bike
GPS system. We asked their gender, if they have a disability, how often they ride their bike, what
they use their bicycle for, and which on-road factor is most important for bike riders. Asking
these questions not only gave us an idea of who we were testing, but show us any correlations
between the type of user and how they respond to the system.
We asked their gender to see if males understood how to use the system better than females, and
vice versa. Is it often said that men have a better sense of direction than women, so we put that to
the test. However, we saw very little difference between the two. Also, we asked the users if they
had a disability so that we could see how that could affect how the user uses the system and how
that could be remedied. None of the test subjects had any disabilities.
The fourth question How often do you ride your bicycle in a week helped us see a correlation
between frequent bike use and understanding how to use the device. It also gives us insight on
which functions certain users prefer. We wanted a wide range of bicyclists so that we could make
the functionality of system was more universal. Those who rarely rode their bike would provide
different suggestions than those who regularly rode their bike. This gives us a wider perspective
on what users would like in the system. We had the same intention for the fifth question What
do you mostly use bicycles for? This helps us determine which types of users need certain
functions. Those who ride their bikes to get from one class to another may desire capabilities
different from those who ride their bikes from the school campus to the local stores.
The sixth question asks What do you think is the most important on-road factor for bicycle
riders? Traffic information, weather information, or emergency handling? This question helps
us determine which capability, other than navigation, is most important and needs to be focused
on the most. Most chose traffic information, but due to practical reasons, we were unable to
implement that function. That would be a feature in future versions of the system.

31

Several scenario tasks are designed for the user to test the interface. After these tasks, the user
was to answer a series of questions to help the designer find the possible flaws and make
improvements and modifications for future versions.
Tasks:

A University of Maryland student has a group meeting in the Engineering library at 4:00
PM. However, he has an English class in Susquehanna Hall that lets out at 3:50 PM. To
arrive on time for his meeting, he would like to ride his bike across campus. Being an
English major, he has never had a class near the Engineering building and thus has only a
vague idea as to where it is located. He would like to obtain directions for the quickest
route to his destination.

While riding along a path behind the University View apartment complex, a biker tries to
avoid a pedestrian and, in the process, collides with a tree and slightly fractures his
arm. As his injuries are not that severe, he does not wish to call for an ambulance but
instead would like to bike to the nearest medical center or hospital. He would like to
obtain directions to this center.

On a very rainy day, with very poor visibility, a biker crossing Paint Branch Road gets hit
by a car and severely breaks his leg. The motorist does not stop to help the cyclist, but
instead flees the scene. The biker has very limited mobility but manages to pull himself
and his bike off the road. Due to the limited visibility, no motorists can see the biker
lying on the ground to the side of the road, and thus do not call 911 for help. The biker
needs to immediately contact emergency services in the area so that he can be transported
to a nearby hospital for treatment.

A biker traveling along a bike path near Route 193 catches a loose branch in the spokes
of her bicycle and breaks the chain, rendering her bike inoperable. As it is during normal
business hours, she wishes to carry her bike to the nearest bike shop to have it repaired.
She would like directions for the shortest route to the nearest bike shop.

A biker riding along Route 1 to her apartment in the South Campus Commons apartment
complex is hungry and thirsty. She would like a list of nearby restaurants and
convenience stores as well as their locations. Once she makes her decision, she would
like to obtain modified directions that include the restaurant but still ultimately guide her
to her apartment.

The tasks were designed to analyze different parts of the interface and allow subjects to view and
interact with different functions of the interface. The designers wish to determine any possible
flaws from those tests to make the final version of the implementation more efficient and
accurate. In order to do so, the designers had a series of questions which subjects were asked to
answer at the end of their test. These questions were designed to allow the subject to provide
useful feedback to the designers in the meaningful way.
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Post-test Questionnaire:

On the scale of 1 to 9, 1 being most confusing and 9 being most clear, how easy was it to
finding the route to a destination?

On the scale of 1 to 9, 1 being most confusing and 9 being most clear, how easy was it
choosing a destination?

On the scale of 1 to 9, 1 being most confusing and 9 being most clear, how easy was it
scrolling the map?

On the scale of 1 to 9, 1 being most confusing and 9 being most clear, how easy was it to
navigate to different screens?

On the scale of 1 to 9, 1 being most confusing and 9 being most clear, how easy was it
understanding the tasks and functionality, overall?

On the scale of 1 to 9, 1 being most confusing and 9 being most clear, how easy was it to
use the emergency button?

What did you like?

What did dislike?

What additional features would you like to see?

The subjects:

21 year old male University of Maryland student, rides bike occasionally

20 year old male University of Maryland student, rides bike often
21 year old male University of Maryland student, rides bike often
21 year old female University of Maryland student, rides bikes occasionally
21 year old female University of Maryland student, rides bike occasionally
17 year old female Eleanor Roosevelt High School student, rides bike occasionally
20 year old female University of Maryland student, rides bike often
22 year old female University of Maryland student, rides bike occasionally

The average value for the numerical responses was 8.625. Judging by the results of the usability
test, this system appeared to be easy to use. Eight subjects were tested, three were male, five
were female, seven were students at the University of Maryland, College Park, and one was a
high school student.
33

The subjects really liked the colorful design of the system, ease of use, and simplicity of design.
However, some did not like the choice of colors used. Also, since we did not have many
locations stored at the time, the users were slightly confused about the Destination screen. Some
thought they could manually enter in destinations that were not currently in the drop down list.
We made sure to make that more clear in the final design by stating that entering the destination
required an upgrade. The user can only choose the destination from a list for now. Also, some
users wanted a button on each screen that leads to the Main screen, since there was no way to go
back to it once you advance to another screen. We made sure to include that in the final version.
Please see Appendix A for a more in-depth look at the usability test results.
The subjects made some suggestions on additional modifications and capabilities, some of which
were included in the final version:
Suggestions for future version:

embed an mp3 player

Implement a speedometer
Display weather information on top of the map
Add more pre-selected locations
Include a tutorial or a link to Help on every screen
Make the Main screen accessible from any screen

After the completion of the usability test, the designers looked at the results and discussed
possible improvements for the redesign.

34

CONCLUSION
From the results of the usability test, it is evident that some changes need to be made and
additional functions should be included. We also came up with some suggestions of our own.
Below is our current status and suggestions for future modifications
Current Status:
Map fully functional
Direction fully functional
Weather fully functional
Emergency screenshot
Pre-selected locations fully functional
Tutorial fully functional
Future Work:

embed an mp3 player

Implement a speedometer
Implement a clock and stopwatch
Display weather information on top of the map
Include a tutorial
Show congestion spots
Expand the map to be nationwide
Add a speaker so that the GPS can provide the user with audio instructions
Add Wi-Fi ability so the system can access the Internet

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Acknowledgements
Thanks to all the members of the CycleMate team for working hard and creating a great system.
Thanks to all the users that tested our prototype and provided constructive feedback. Thanks to
all those who critiqued our report and gave useful comments. Thanks to Dr. Ben Shneiderman
and Khoo Yit Phang for being supportive throughout the whole development process.

36

References
Since some of the references are in the introduction section, some descriptions have been
omitted.
Title: Moving Beyond Observed Outcomes: Integrating Global Positioning Systems and
Interactive Computer-Based Travel Behaviour Surveys
Authors: Doherty, Sean T.; Nol, Nathalie; Gosselin, Martin-Lee; Sirois, Claude; Ueno, Mami;
and Theberge, Franois.
Publisher and Date: Transportation Research Circular: Personal Travel: The Long and Short of
It. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C. (in
preparation).
Title: Location, Location, Location GPS Puts You on the Map
Author: Gulick, Joshua
Publisher and Date: PC Today, 2006
Annotation: This article explorer on how GPS system works, and the
future technology on the GPS system.
Title: Web-Enhanced GPS
Authors: Hariharan, Ramaswamy; Krumm, John; and Horvitz, Eric
Publisher and Date: Irvine, CA: University of California, Irvine, 2005.
Annotation: This article examines the use of location-based services to deliver personalized
information to clients. It also examines more complex applications of this technology, such as
finding nearby businesses and points of interest.
Title: Global Positioning System: theory and practice
Authors: Hofmann-Wellenhof, B.; Lichtenegger, H.; and Collins, J.
Publisher and Date: New York: Springer-Verlag, 2001
Annotation: This book explains how GPS works. It focuses on surveying, navigation, and
attitude determination, project planning, observation, data processing, and the modernization of
GPS.
Title: Magellan
Publisher and Date: Magellan Navigation, Inc, 2006
Site: http://www.magellangps.com/
Title: Using Global Positioning Systems and Personal Digital Assistants for Personal Travel
Surveys in the United States
Authors: Murakami, Elaine; Wagner, David P.; and Neumeister, David M.

37

Title: The global positioning system: theory and applications

Authors: Parkinson, Bradford W.; Spilker, James J., Jr.
Publisher and Date: The global positioning system: theory and applications/ edited by Bradford
W. Parkinson, James J. Spilker, Jr.; associate editors, Penina Axelrad, Per Enge. Washington, DC:
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1996. Progress in astronautics and
aeronautics; v. 163-164.
Title: Internet GIS: Distributed Geographic Information Services for the Internet and Wireless
Networks
Authors: Peng, Zhong-Ren; and Tsou, Ming-hsiang
Publisher and Date: Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003
Annotation: This book provides case studies on how to apply the principles of geographic
information services over the Internet.
Title: The Hot Spot Your Guide to Wi-Fi
Authors: Perry, Christian
Publisher and Date: PC Today, 2006
Annotation: This article provides Wi-Fi information on how to use wireless, the cost of Wi-Fi
communication, and the the new technology that will come in the future.
Title: GPS World
Publisher and Date: Questex Media Group, Inc, 2006
Site: http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/
Title: TomTom RIDER
Publisher and Date: TomTom International BV, 2006
Site: http://www.tomtom.com/products/features.php?ID=146&Category=1&Lid=1
Title: Trimble
Publisher and Date: Trimble Navigation Ltd, 2006
Site: http://www.trimble.com/gps/index.shtml
Title: Bikeability Checklist : How Bikeable is Your Community?
Author: USDO Transportation
Publisher and Date: Chapel Hill, N.C: Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, 2002
Annotation: This resource provides several points of interest when considering a safe,
comfortable, and enjoyable route when riding a bike through any community.
Title: Internet Emergency Alert System
Author: Verma, Paridhi; and Verma, Dinesh C.
Publisher and Date: Hawthorne, NY : IBM T J Watson Research Center, 2005
38

Annotation: This resource examines the implementation of an emergency alert system via the
Internet. It provides various approaches to designing such a system.

APPENDIX A
This is a detailed analysis of the usability test process and results. We tested 8 family and friends.
They were each given a pre-test survey, instructed what tasks to complete, and then were given a
post-test questionnaire. The first four were conducted by Alex. The last four were conducted by
Julie.
Test Subjects:
Our first subject was a 21 year-old male University of Maryland junior, majoring in
criminology and criminal Justice, who rides his bicycle around campus about twice per week. He
normally uses his bicycle to get to class from his dorm and go to shops around campus. We asked
him to complete the task of going from the Stamp Student Union to South Campus Commons.
He did ask for some assistance to complete tasks involving finding a location. He mentioned that
using the arrows keys was a bit hard to use for navigating the map. He also suggested that we
add information about each of the local stores and restaurants, and encouraged us to finish
implementation of the emergency function. Overall, he said our system is very clear and straight
forward; he liked the idea of a GPS for bikers and encouraged us to add more functions, like
music to our system.
The second test subject was a 20 year old male University of Maryland junior, majoring in
economics and philosophy, who rides his bicycle at least 5 times a week. He uses his bicycle to
get to class everyday and anywhere around campus. We asked him to do a task involving
navigating his way from Tydings Hall to the Campus Recreation Center and make emergency
calls. He was able to complete the tasks without any problems. After he completed the task, one
of his main concerns was about the safety of the system. According to him, bike riders often get
into unexpected accidents on the road, such as falling down to avoid the pedestrian, or crashing
into some object on the street. He was wondering if our system can survive such impacts.
Because of his suggestion, we intended our system to have a shockproof system to protect it
from any potential damage. He also suggested we work little more on the map, so it will be more
than just red dots and lines.
The third test subject was a 21 year old male University of Maryland junior, majoring in
business, who rides his bicycle 5 times per week. He uses his bicycle for exercise and get to
class. We asked him to complete a task involving navigating from Van Munching Hall to the
Engineering Building. He was able to complete the task in a short time after few simple
instructions. One problem he pointed out for us is that this device might cause accident bicyclists
to get into accidents, since it directs the attention of the bicycle rider away from the road when
they try to operate the device. After listening to his concern, we considered adding voice
recognition and voice command to system capabilities, to reduce the chances of getting into an
39

accident. He also suggested in the future that we implement a speedometer, to help biker keep
track of their current speeds.
The fourth test subject was a 21 year-old female University of Maryland junior, who rides her
bicycle 1 2 times per week. She uses her bicycle to get around campus, and the stores around
campus. We asked her to complete the task of navigating her way from the Stamp Student Union
to the Comcast Center. She was able to finish the task very quickly without any problem or
assistance. In general, she liked our system very much. She said it would help her greatly to get
around campus. She suggested we expand our system to a greater range, and add maybe add wifi ability to our system so it would have access to the Internet. She also suggested that we put
weather information on every screen, so the user can see the weather conditions anytime they
want.
The fifth subject was a 21 year-old female University of Maryland student, majoring in
accounting. She rides her bicycle quite often on campus, almost everyday. She uses her bike to
get to and from class and to local shops and restaurants along route 1.
Since this is her fourth year and she rides her bicycle often, she knows her way around
campus very well. Her insight gave us an idea of what expert users desire in a GPS system. She
knew each location stated in the task list. She noticed the drop down box immediately and chose
the appropriate locations. She was slightly confused about the last task that implied that there
was a list of restaurants and shops. We had to instruct her to simply choose several restaurants
and shops that were listed in the drop down list. Also, she would have liked there to have been a
button leading to the main screen and another for a help screen, appearing on every screen.
Being that she is a bicyclist, she was excited to use this system. She really enjoyed using it
and testing it out. In addition to the five tasks we assigned her, she tinkered with the system a bit
to get a better feel of how the system works. She would have liked to test out the weather
functionality, but we had not implemented it at that time. We explained to her that we were going
to import the weather information from yahoo and display it on our Weather screen. She liked the
idea of knowing the forecast ahead of time, so that she does not run the risk of riding her bike in
the rain.
The sixth subject was a 17 year-old female student at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.
Although this system is designed for those affiliated with the University of Maryland, we wanted
to get a fresh perspective on the system. Someone who has no knowledge of the campus at all
really helps us determine which features need to be added to improve the systems navigation.
Since many of our subjects are students, they had more knowledge of where certain locations
were.
Because her knowledge of the University of Maryland campus is limited, she had some
trouble with some of the tasks. She was unclear on how to use the Directions screen. At first, she
thought she had to type in the destination address, not noticing the drop down list. For the first
task, she was not sure where Susquehanna Hall was, so we had to show her. We also had to show
her where the University Health Center was on the map for the second task. For the fourth task,
we told her the name of the bike shop in the College Park area. For the fifth task, she was able to
identify some familiar stores and restaurants.
40

Despite having some difficulty with some of the tasks, she thought the system was really
fun to use. She enjoyed using the bike simulator. She remarked that it was like playing a video
game. Although she does not ride her bike often, she said she would definitely use it if she was a
student at the university. She stated that if she were a student that should would much rather ride
her bike, than walk far distances to each class due to the campuss large size.
The seventh subject was a 20 year old female junior, majoring in art and graphic design. She
rides her bicycle on campus about once every two weeks. She mainly uses her bike to get from
her dorm to the shops and restaurants along route 1 and to visit her friends dorms. She
completed most of the tasks without problems, but was slightly confused about the last task, in
getting a list of restaurants. Because of a lack of time, we did not categorize the locations, and
listed them all at once, instead. We asked her to simply a pick a restaurant from the list.
She mentioned liking the design of the interface, but suggested a slightly different color
scheme and interface design. Being that she is an art and graphic design major, this was very
helpful. However, in the interest of time, we kept the interface as is. She also liked that the
system was easy to use and follow. Also, she asked us if the GPS system had some sort of phone
service for the emergency functions. We informed her that we intended to use VOIP, even though
it does not include the ability to call 911 yet. Furthermore, although she really liked the system,
she was unsure if she would actually use it. She was a bit skeptical on how safe it was to use
while riding a bike.
The last subject was a 22 year-old female senior, majoring in biology and public and
community health. She does not ride her bicycle very often, only once in awhile. Her main
purpose for using her bike was for getting to and from long distances on campus. For example,
sometimes she rides from her dorm, to north of campus, to south of campus, and back.
Because she was knowledgeable about many locations on campus, she had no trouble
choosing the destinations listed in the tasks. It was also simple for her to use the emergency
functions. However, like the others, she initially thought she had to type in the name of the
building. We instructed her to choose from the drop down list. Because of the short list of
locations, she expressed wanting more available destinations. She would have liked to see more
places listed, especially places she has not visited yet. This gave us an idea that people could use
our system to not only find the quickest route to a desired location, but also a brand new,
unknown location. The system could be used for exploring new areas, as well. She also preferred
to have a Help button on each screen, especially since the Directions screen was slightly
confusing.
She liked the way the interface looked. She liked the choice of colors. Since she does not ride
her bicycle often, she did not express much desire to use a system like this. However, she said
would recommend this to some of her friends who ride their bikes often. She also said she really
enjoyed navigating the campus map and the simulated bike was a nice touch.

41

Bar Graphs

Figure A.1 Overall average of the numerical answers of the first five post-test questions.

Figure A.2 Numerical value of each test subjects answers to the first six post-test questions.
42

Post-test Questionnaire Analysis

Overall, all the subjects enjoyed using the GPS system. They really liked the bike simulation and
the highlighted routes. However, when they tested the system beyond the tasks they were given,
all of them noticed that the navigation buttons either led to the wrong screen or did not work at
all. Some would have liked a tutorial or a Help button on every screen.

Problems Addressed
Importance

Voice Recognition/Voice Command

Help on every screen
Link to Main Screen on Every Screen
MP3 player
Shockproof
Wi-fi
Weather Conditions on Every Screen
Finish Weather Screen
Different Colors for Interface
Inaccurate Navigation Buttons

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Effort to Repair
4