Overview of the Relationship between Human Spatial Abilities and GPS Usage

GPS-based (Global Positioning System) navigation is a great help when traveling to new places. Although, many of us have experienced the feeling that after driving across town with a GPS device, that we cannot retrieve the road and we feel that without the GPS we will not be able to find our way back. This paper presents human spatial abilities and spatial orientation. Then shows the state of the art in the empirical research regarding the effects of using GPS. Then presents some methods and design principles that aim to overcome this detrimental effect. For example, raising the awareness of the drivers and users, to be more conscious when they decide whether they need navigational aid or not. Furthermore, the interaction design of these devices could also initiate actively dealing with the information to enhance active encoding. In addition, by integrating landmarks as reference points in the GPS aids, the users are also encouraged to pay more attention to the environment.