The First International Conference on IoT in Urban Space

Research Article

Enhancing Public Transit Accessibility for the Visually Impaired Using IoT and Open Data Infrastructures

  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/icst.urb-iot.2014.257263,
        author={Jee-Eun Kim and Masahiro Bessho and Noboru Koshizuka and Ken Sakamura},
        title={Enhancing Public Transit Accessibility for the Visually Impaired Using IoT and Open Data Infrastructures},
        proceedings={The First International Conference on IoT in Urban Space},
        publisher={ACM},
        proceedings_a={URB-IOT},
        year={2014},
        month={11},
        keywords={accessibility smartphone visual impairments public transit location-based services iot open data},
        doi={10.4108/icst.urb-iot.2014.257263}
    }
    
  • Jee-Eun Kim
    Masahiro Bessho
    Noboru Koshizuka
    Ken Sakamura
    Year: 2014
    Enhancing Public Transit Accessibility for the Visually Impaired Using IoT and Open Data Infrastructures
    URB-IOT
    ICST
    DOI: 10.4108/icst.urb-iot.2014.257263
Jee-Eun Kim1,*, Masahiro Bessho1, Noboru Koshizuka1, Ken Sakamura1
  • 1: The University of Tokyo
*Contact email: kim@sakamura-lab.org

Abstract

In urban areas, public transit plays a significant role by offering mobility, but visually impaired passengers are faced with challenges due to poor access to transit information such as timetables and real-time service status. In this paper, we propose a public transit information system for the visually impaired integrating the concepts of IoT and Open Data infrastructures. We developed TalkingTransit (TT) – a location-aware system that enables users to obtain real-time service status and timetables of public transit in Tokyo that has more than 1200 stations and 1500 bus stops. Unlike existing systems, our system can be used from off-the-shelf smartphones without requiring any dedicated hardware. It also provides in-station information using Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology to help users identify a right platform or exit. The system was iteratively co-designed with blind users to develop interfaces specialized for their needs. A user study shows that our interaction design was well accepted and provided improved access to massive public transit information.