RideGuide: multimodal conversational tour guide for passenger engagement and spatial learning in robotaxis
Journal
Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2026-08-03
Author(s)
Abstract
Robotaxis are gradually taking the place of traditional taxis, removing the human driver as a source of local insights and conversation, fostering passive travel and potentially hindering passengers’ spatial learning of their surroundings. This paper introduces RideGuide, a customizable multimodal conversational tour guide system for autonomous vehicles that integrates voice, touch, and vision capabilities to provide context-aware and engaging interactions. In an exploratory lab study (n = 12), participants customized RideGuide ’s language, voice, and chatbot personality before experiencing a pre-recorded robotaxi ride (t = 10 min, 270° car back-seat video). Results indicate a positive hedonic user experience (UEQ-S, 1.10), moderate chatbot usability (CUQ, 67.6%), and low workload (NASA-TLX, 32.4%). On average, participants recalled 3.3 landmarks by name, suggesting a potential in supporting spatial learning. Participants reported a greater willingness to converse with RideGuide compared to human drivers and expressed openness to data sharing for personalization. The results show expectations for future robotaxi interfaces, including real-time contextual information, vehicle explainability, and adaptable conversation styles. The findings inform design recommendations for developing engaging, human-centered multimodal interfaces in autonomous mobility contexts.
Funding(s)
SNSF: Understanding and Improving the Society-level Effects of Navigation Techniques (207430)
Language
English
Keywords
Autonomous Vehicles
Robotaxi
Spatial learning
Passenger engagement
Large language models
Multimodal conversational user interface
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Contact Email Address
eve.schade@unisg.ch
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Name
s12193-026-00479-2.pdf
Size
1.15 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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