Inclusive Wayfinding Through NaviLens

Details

• Creators:
  Philipson, Mira ; Ramsaywack, Yuvraj ; Singh, Christine
• Corporate Creators:
  New York (State). Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Corporate Contributors:
  Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Program
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Access Deployment Multimodal Transportation NaviLens Real Time Information Strategic Planning Wayfinding
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.21949/3jds-9r67
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Implementation Report
• Corporate Publisher:
  Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Program
• Abstract:
  The Project is a Systems Integration solution in partnership with NaviLens. NaviLens is a mobile phone application that utilizes customized colorful QR-like codes (“codes”) to provide users with context-specific indoor and outdoor wayfinding and service information. NaviLens can translate visual signage into audio, and to solve the “first mile/last mile” problem, in which GPS data only guides a user to the general vicinity of a location, as opposed to directly to the location itself. The app can detect codes at significant distances and angle, informing the user of what destination has been detected (i.e., “stairs down to R platform” or “bus stop 23 St, Broadway”) and their distance and angle (i.e., “50 feet away, to the right), to help guide the customer directly to the exact location of the code. Once the user has arrived at the location & scans the code, additional information can be presented including live service information (e.g., train/bus arrivals, elevator status). NaviLens can also translate this information into dozens of languages, a boon in a diverse city like New York. The Project demonstrates the feasibility of NaviLens as a cost-effective technology solution that provides context-specific wayfinding and real-time service information, in corresponding audio and visual formats, throughout an end-to-end transit journey. This information can assist all transit riders, particularly those with visual disabilities and non-native English speakers. Stage 1 allowed the MTA to pilot the NaviLens’ wayfinding solution with both real-time and static NYCT information for both the subway and bus systems, understand the internal and external resources needed for a larger deployment in a possible systemwide rollout, proactively identifying and tackling roadblocks. These lessons can be applied to other agencies and that NaviLens can help provide a cost-effective, accessible solution for systems looking to provide better communication to its customers.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  SMARTFY22N1P1G45
• Collection(s):
  SMART Program
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e6bc5804065fb9f15bcce7450973763160c96e91a3d5a601a0d6630292fe55beff04906c5a401f8526332a52d9676b7f05f34ef7a91c40e1a5d422f1554f1849
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/88877/dot_88877_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.43 MB ]