Interventions: Lightweight soft belt device with special materials that reflect infrared heat lost through clothes, warming the low back constantly and continuously, to higher temperatures than those achieved with other materials.
Therefore, the belt device meets the central requirements for usability as stated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO, 1998).
Although we do not apply statistics, they give a more complete impression of the effects of the belt device.
In short: The belt device is a sensory augmentation device providing directional information of magnetic north via vibration around the waist.
Participants evaluated the belt device regarding its overall appeal, usability i.e. pragmatic quality, and hedonic qualities after each week by means of the AttrakDiff2 questionnaire.
Having additional directional information we hypothesize that the belt device will also influence participants' impressions of their navigation style and performance.
Hence, the belt device can be handled with minimal effort and can be used in an effective, efficient, and satisfactory way.
Overall, the most prevalent emotional effects of the belt device were apparently feelings of security, curiosity, and joy of use, but also some irritations.
At the end of each week, an additional in-depth evaluation was performed in the laboratory including closed- and open-ended questions, supplement interviews, as well as an evaluation of the belt device.
Finally, the expectations of the belt's impact prior to the wearing time were not consistent with participants' real experiences: either the belt device exceeded the prior expectations (441) or the experiences differed from the initial expectations (443), indicating that none of the subjects correctly anticipated the impact of the belt and the experiences with it.
