Augmented Reality as a research tool: investigating cognitive-motor dual-task during outdoor navigation

Augmented Reality (AR) combines real-world and computer-generated data, allowing for a dynamic presentation of visual contents while moving in the physical surroundings. Though promising for the investigation of visuospatial processing in natural scenarios, experimental research exploiting AR in this context is scarce. In this study, we aimed at testing the behavioral consequences of multitasking when walking in different directions to close landmarks while responding to AR holograms outdoors. Participants were engaged in i) a visual single-task for discriminating augmented peripheral targets, ii) a navigation single-task consisting of a sequence of short goal-directed walking periods to close augmented landmarks and iii) a dual-task combining the latter tasks. We evaluated the cost of dual-tasking on cognitive and motor performance in comparison to the single-tasks, along with a subjective assessment of mental load. Cognitive-Motor Interference (CMI) was highlighted by performance costs in both the cognitive and motor domains under dual-task. Interestingly, a discrepancy between subjective and objective measures of mental load under dual-task was observed. We conclude that the attentional load induced by multitasking can have important consequences when navigating the dynamic real world, and thus needs to be addressed in a variety of daily-living contexts. In this perspective, AR is a suitable research tool for simulating dynamic tasks outdoors, enhancing the ecological validity of cognitive investigations without sacrificing the experimental rigor of laboratory research. Additionally, it provides insights into the possible impact on attention and behavior when using wearable mobile technologies that overlap virtual data to the physical environment.