Digital Guidance Increases Accessibility in Public Transport 

Visually impaired people have the same need for information as sighted people to travel via public transport, but they need to access this information differently. In the project Digital Guidance, we have worked on new technical solutions to make journeys in public transport more accessible.

A Digital Guide for the visually impaired

Digital Guidance is an exciting project we have been working on for over a year together with the Swedish Association for the Visually Impaired, Östgötatrafiken, Linköping University, Vti, and RISE. Visually impaired people have the same need for information as sighted to board a bus and travel via public transport, but need to access this information by listening, feeling, and/or following contrasts. In this project, we have worked with AR (augmented reality), open public transport data, digital twins, and machine learning to create a digital guide in app format. 

Digital Guidance to the right stop and bus 

We started with Gaia Public Transport’s cloud platform. We built a mobile app on top of it, adapted for screen readers, where individuals can get assistance with planning, AR-based guidance, and traffic information regarding their journey. This makes it easier for passengers to find the right stop and bus. Glasses with built-in speakers can be used to more easily receive sounds from the app, while the ears are left free to absorb sounds from the surroundings. The bus driver is also informed that a visually impaired individual is waiting at the stop, ensuring that the passenger boards. Join us on a journey in the video below: 

At Gaia, we enjoy working with projects like this – where we can use technology to truly make a difference!

Learn more about the Digital Guidance app here.