FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-15/14

Title and Subtitle: Wayfinding Technology and Its Application to Transport Category Passenger Airplanes

Report Date: August 2015

Authors: Paskoff LN, Weed DB, Corbett CL, McLean GA

Abstract: Wayfinding, a method to communicate to the public about paths of travel, involves various active and passive modes of communication, such as lights, tactile objects, audio signals, and computer based technology to include virtual environments and augmented reality. A current topic in the field of transport category aircraft is the use of internationally recognized symbols in wayfinding. This is proving to be difficult due to the meanings one culture places on certain symbols and how those differ among cultures. In an era of world-wide travel, this could create a deadly scenario as a passenger is attempting to egress from an aircraft in a dangerous situation, such as a fire, and misinterprets the available wayfinding symbology.

In that vein of research, an eventual goal of mitigating misinterpretation of available wayfinding signals, this literature review investigates past and present wayfinding technology used and proposed for use in transport category aircraft and also explores recent advances in wayfinding technology that could be adapted for use in aircraft.

Key Words: Wayfinding, Egress, Symbology, Aircraft

No. of Pages: 21