Micro-navigation system for the city of Warsaw with facilities for the blind
Update: The list of facilities participating in the VWOF project grows longer, 21.08.2023
As the work progresses, the number of participating facilities is growing. Among them are municipal offices, community centers, health centers, as well as sports and recreation centers.
Update: The list of facilities participating in the VWOF project grows longer, 21.08.2023
The VWOF project is one of the most important for us this year. Navigating inside the facilities can revolutionize daily life. Most important is the special adaptation of the system for the blind and visually impaired. We are working hard to make sure everything meets all requirements. This time, the work involved not only the team that has been working on these processes since the beginning, but also the team that works in the Bielsko-Biała office on a daily basis.
For us, a team is not only support, but also mutual motivation, exchange of experience and greater creativity. It is these values that drive us to act and make us achieve the best results.
As one close-knit team, we traveled to the capital, rolled up our sleeves and got to work. Our priority task was to install beacons (iBeacons) in many locations throughout the city, as well as in the surrounding municipalities. The first priority was city and municipal offices and health care facilities. The effects of joint activities? Satisfactory… We have installed more than 800 transmitters in 12 different locations. We are preparing for another such trip.
Once again, most of the implementation of the VWOF e-accessibility project is behind us. This fall, the NawiGo application will be available for use. What did it look like? See for yourself!
Update: Meeting to better understand blind people, 12.05.2023
While working on the VWOF (Virtual Warsaw Functional Area) project, which aims to introduce a micro-navigation system with facilities for the blind in Warsaw, we met with a blind person. The Łukasz in question lost his sight completely more than 10 years ago. Such a meeting and a walk around the city together was an inspiring experience for us, thanks to which we became better acquainted with the needs of blind people. We understood what difficulties they face every day and what obstacles often stand in their way.
As Łukasz admitted, he finds it most difficult to find his way around large, flat areas where there is no point of reference, such as a subway platform or parking lot. What’s more, running errands in offices on his own is currently impossible for him, and as he mentioned in an interview with us, independence gives him self-esteem.
This time spent together was a great motivation for us to act. We will do our best to ensure that the NawiGo application meets the expectations of blind people, as it is mainly with them in mind that this initiative was created. The application will be available for download completely free of charge to everyone in a few months.
Update: VWOF project progress, 29.05.2023
The progress of the work is becoming more and more visible, and most of the metro stations in Warsaw have already been equipped with iBeacons. Currently, the InnerWeb team has completed comprehensive work at Kabaty metro station and is gradually preparing to start work inside the offices.
As planned, the micro-navigation project with facilities for the blind will be completed this fall.
- Who will be able to use the NawiGo app?
Everyone. Our goal is to ensure accessibility for all residents as well as visitors to Warsaw.
- How much will it cost?
The application will be completely free of charge. Our priority is to make this tool available to as many people as possible to provide them with easier and more accessible navigation inside the facilities.
Stay tuned and look out for our team in Warsaw! From Monday to Saturday, we are working full steam ahead to make our capital city more accessible to everyone, regardless of health limitations. We are determined to make positive changes and create an environment where everyone can move freely and run errands independently in the offices.
Update: Progress, 25.04.2023
InnerWeb’s team of several people is engaged in the daily installation of beacons at subway stations to ensure effective and precise navigation inside the facilities. The installation process follows established procedures and consists of several key steps.
First, we start by creating a map of the area, which allows us to determine the exact location and placement of the transmitters. On this basis, we deploy the iBeacons at appropriately designated points, maintaining the established distances. We attach them to walls and ceilings using a special lance.
We have already completed work at the Imielin subway station, where we successfully installed iBeacons and completed the remaining processes. However, we still have many more locations ahead of us, including numerous city and municipal offices and healthcare facilities.
We have already completed work at the Imielin subway station, where we successfully installed iBeacons and completed the remaining processes. However, we still have many more locations ahead of us, including numerous city and municipal offices and health care facilities.
Start of work in the project: Micro Navigation System for the City of Warsaw, 21.03.2023
The long-awaited moment has arrived…. We have started work in the Warsaw Metro. The first stage will be to attach iBeacons to the walls in the station area at appropriate distances. Then we will use the phones to create groups of spatial patterns. Once this stage is completed, we will proceed to test the signal flow. If all the results are correct, we will be able to start work at the next facility.
Traveling and doing everyday errands in Warsaw will soon be easier. Micro-navigation based on the iBeacon network will help you get to the platform, buy a ticket, go through the gates. The app will indicate which way to go to leave the subway station and exit at the right place outside to reach the desired destination. The project covers all Warsaw metro stations and more than 60 institutions. Importantly, the app is adapted to the needs of the blind and visually impaired.
We are implementing the project together with MobileMS Sp. z o. o. and SoniqSoft Software House.
We are changing the world for the better.
Launch of space calibration training with iBeacons, 16.01.2023
The second half of January marks the beginning of a new phase for InnerWeb – we are starting work on the VWOF project, or Virtual Warsaw Functional Area. Our task is to create a mobile application with facilities for the blind, based on iBeacons. The project covers all subway stations in Warsaw and many district offices in and around the city. We are implementing it jointly with Mobile MS and Soniq Soft Software House.
The solution is expected to make it easier to get around Warsaw and run errands independently. Above all, the application will be dedicated to blind and visually impaired people. The name of the application is NawiGo.
Now our team has begun training to master the assembly and calibration of the space using iBeacons.
