Escalation of Feedback

Design safety patterns that are responsive to the varying levels of risk at different points in the Buffer.

In the same way that a vehicle beeps louder and more quickly as it reverses into a barrier, street-smart AR patterns should vary in intensity to match the changes in the user’s sense of risk at different distances from the hazard zone. This is in constrast to a sudden, discrete safety pattern that may startle the user and desensitive them to the hazards.

Escalation works because:

• Users are more likely to pay attention if AR safety patterns demonstrate responsiveness to the distance to the hazard
• Escalation creates multiple opportunities to catch user’s attention if they miss initial alerts and move further into the buffer
• Early safety feedback is kept at a lower intensity. This minimizes disruption to the user's AR experience while she is still some distance away from the hazard

Stepped Escalation vs Continuous Escalation

There are two approaches to escalation that you may take. Stepped escalation is recommended because it is more effectively in triggering alertness within the user.