Towards a Predictive Framework for AR Receptivity

Given the sometimes disparate findings and the increasing application of AR in both training and operations, as well as increased affordability and availability, it is important for researchers, user interface and user experience (UI/UX) designers, and AR technology developers to understand the factors that impact the utility of AR. To increase the potential for realizing the full benefit of AR, adequately detailing the interrelated factors that drive outcomes of different AR usage schemes is imperative. A systematic approach to understanding influential factors, parameters, and the nature of the influence on performance provides the foundation for developing AR usage protocols and design principles, which currently are few. Toward this end, this work presents a theoretical model of factors impacting performance with AR systems. The framework of factors, including task, human, and environmental factors, conceptualizes the concept of “AR Receptivity”, which aims to characterize the degree to which the application of AR usage is receptive to the technology design and capabilities. The discussion begins with a brief overview of research efforts laying the foundation for the model’s development and moves to a review of receptivity as a concept of technology suitability. This work provides details on the model and factor components, concluding with implications for application of AR in both the training and operational settings.