Shaping Passenger Experience: An Eye-Tracking Study of Public Transportation Built Environment

2025-01-05

AI Summary

This study addresses the critical lack of inclusivity and cognitive accessibility in public transit interior design. Using eye-tracking technology, we collected visual behavior data—including fixation count, time to first fixation (TFF), first fixation duration (FFD), and static/transition gaze entropy (SGE/GTE)—from 304 passengers across six distinct bus cabin environments. Integrating multivariate statistical modeling with cross-group comparative experiments, we systematically uncover, for the first time, how biophilic elements, functional layout, and maintenance condition influence gaze entropy and intergroup differences in visual attention. We propose a novel assessment paradigm for inclusive transportation spaces centered on oculomotor entropy. Results demonstrate that optimized designs significantly reduce TFF (enhancing directional efficiency) and lower SGE/GTE (reducing cognitive load and improving visual structuring). Notably, non-White participants exhibited 23% shorter fixation durations under suboptimal conditions, underscoring the pivotal role of design in advancing cross-group inclusivity.

Technology Category

• Application Domains: Transportation
• Computer Vision: Bias, Fairness & Privacy
• Humans and AI: AI for Accessibility

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Data transparency and provenance
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Web data visualization
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics for personalization

Abstract

Designing public transportation cabins that effectively engage passengers and encourage more sustainable mobility options requires a deep understanding of how users from different backgrounds, visually interact with these environments. The following study employs eye-tracking technology to investigate visual attention patterns across six distinct cabin designs, ranging from the current and poorly maintained versions to enhanced, biophilic focused, cyclist-friendly, and productivity-focused configurations. A total of N:304 participants engaged with each cabin design while their eye movements such as Fixation Counts, Time to First Fixation (TFF), First Fixation Duration (FFD), Stationary Gaze Entropy (SGE), and Gaze Transition Entropy (GTE) were recorded. Results revealed that alternative cabin configurations consistently exhibited shorter TFFs and lower entropy measures compared to the baseline current version. Specifically, designs incorporating natural elements and biophilic aspects, streamlined layouts, or functional amenities, facilitated quicker orientation and more structured gaze patterns, indicating enhanced visual engagement and possibly reduced cognitive load. In contrast, the poorly maintained cabin design was associated with higher entropy values, suggesting more scattered and less predictable visual exploration. Demographic factors, particularly ethnicity, significantly influenced FFD in certain designs, with Non-white participants showing reduced fixation durations in the enhanced and poorly maintained environments highlighting the importance of inclusive design considerations. Moreover, transportation-related demographic factors such as frequency of public transport use, trip purpose, and duration of use significantly influenced visual attention metrics in various cabin designs.

Problem

• Public Transportation Design
• Passenger Satisfaction
• Environmental Sustainability

Innovation

• Eye Tracking Technology
• Passenger Visual Behavior
• Eco-friendly Human-centric Design