How Route4U Walkability Analysis Tool Helps City Officials

2018-11-192018-11-15 by Tom

walkability analysis smart city route4u decision making accessibility

Revolutionising footpath network improvement planning

As part of our ‘Smart Dublin Wayfinding Challenge’ execution, during the past 6 months, a new footpath related city decision support tool was developed and introduced for opinion to city decision makers of towns such as Dublin, Swords, Galway, Limerick, Dusseldorf and Budapest.

Although the system currently works with an initial functionality, city officials got really interested when they learned what sort of information may be derived from the footpath data set collected by our staff and by the general crowd. Officers of different city departments like planning, road maintenance, public realm, transport, and accessibility agree that a useful tool is being developed which lets them better understand and visualise their existing footpath network and helps to identify the most advantageous development options.

By assigning ‘walkability’, ‘rollability’ (wheelchair accessibility) and ‘inclusion’ indexes to small neighbourhoods of the city the accessibility of the neighbourhoods is quantified. This quantification makes it possible to compare different parts of the city or make a comparison between cities as well as to accurately measure and report the progress of improvements.

Dublin Docklands: a highly accessible area, although frequent constructions might cause temporary obstructions

Walkability data from the crowd

According to the very core concept of Route4U, data is collected from the crowd. Interestingly two third of the Route4U app users are fully abled people who are keen to help the community. Based on user interviews we learned that a good number of people are actively seeking volunteering possibilities. Many of them find the obstacle reporting and service accessibility rating functionality of Route4U app a highly appealing option for this, as it is really flexible both geographically and time-wise. This means, where-ever and whenever they have a couple of minutes to contribute to the common good it can be done with the app and the tool is always in their pockets. This is exactly why it caught the interest of many companies and organisations like the Docklands Business Forum in the Dublin Docklands area who are publicising this volunteering option amongst their staff and members. Which is again a good connection point to cities as they are hungrily seeking the information coming directly from their citizens so that they are able to make decisions which best serve their people.

25 times ’round the Globe

For reading this post this far you deserve a little peek under the hood. Interesting fact that to be able to provide the quality of analysis our customers enjoy in an average size of the downtown area (of approx. 500km sidewalk network) Route4U servers run more than 1 million kilometres of route planning – which equals with rounding the Globe 25 times along the Equator. But how are the walkability, rollability and inclusion indexes calculated?

First, the surveyed area of the city is broken up into hexagons of 200 metres in diameter and ‘A’ and ‘B’ points are assigned to the corners of each hexagon. Following this, routes are planned – there and back – between A and B points on the footpath network. The starting and ending points are always the nearest footpath segments to A and B (as A and B points may not always be on a piece of footpath).

Thus we get to a number which shows that in the small neighbourhood of a hexagon how long a distance one should walk (or roll in a wheelchair) on the footpath network to get from A to B which is 200 metres as the crow flies. (For easier visualisation, in the end, we give the figure for 100 metres straight line on our maps instead of 200 metres). The inclusion index is the difference of walkability and rollability and it shows how discriminating the area is for wheelchairs.

How does this help?

With this tool, it is easy to identify the problematic areas and then – digging a little deeper – also the causes of the problems. City planners of a client in Budapest, for example, were surprised to realise how much effect a couple of missing but important curb ramps have on the whole network in a rather extended area.

It was also interesting to see how a missing bridge or under-path across a highway that splits the district into two destroys walkability. To traverse 100 meters one must walk more than 500. Of course, in this case, the same applies to wheelchair users so the area is not discriminating since it is equally bad for everyone.

Based on all this, city decision-makers can virtually play around with their sidewalk infrastructure and experiment with different development options to see which ones would result in the greatest improvement regarding the overall network. And it is needless to say that the wiser our tax money is spent the better we are all off. Therefore we highly encourage you to volunteer, download the Route4U app and spend two-three minutes each day to upload some data. With this you are not only helping wheelchair users to a higher level of freedom in their mobility but also helping your city to make smarter decisions and to build a safer and more comfortable footpath network for all.

Route4U wins Smart Dublin ‘Wayfinding’ tender

2017-09-012017-09-01 by Tom

Route4U wins Smart Dublin ‘Wayfinding’ tender

A couple of months back we’ve had the opportunity (thanks to Budapest Enterprise Agency) to exhibit in Ireland at Future Scope 2017 and we could also introduce Route4U in the Dublin City Hall.

Tibor presenting Route4U in Dublin City Hall (May, 2017)

Our general experience during those intensive four days we spent ‘overseas’ was that there’s quite a great interest there in what we are doing with Route4U. We got tons of questions from representatives of Cities, NGOs, politicians, businesses, competitors and even from the media (this is the interview that the Irish Tech News made with me). And on the top of it, we found the

Wayfinding Challenge of Smart Dublin

in which Smart Dublin and the Grangegorman Development Agency are seeking low cost, mobile, smart, innovative, universally designed, indoor and outdoor wayfinding solutions.

Robert Moore, Client BIM/Information Manager, Grangegorman Development Agency said on the wayfinding challenge:

We are seeking to find a creative solution to help people of all abilities, find their way seamlessly around the indoor and outdoor areas of the Grangegorman campus. This solution should reflect the open and interconnected nature of the new campus. We were soon joined by Smart Dublin as they could see the wider appeal to a solution to this challenge and how it could be utilised in a broader way across the region. Ultimately we are seeking a revolutionary navigation system for all.

We mapped a part of Swords (city North from Dublin), one of the three sample areas.

Reading this we realized that it is very similar to what we already have or plan to implement in the future. We had the feeling that it is just the right place and right time for us and we definitely MUST give it a try.

So we applied in writing, and a few months later we got an invitation to Dublin to pitch about our solution and future plans. Propositions and needs seemed to match because four days later we have received an email saying that

Route4U has been selected

for cooperation for Phase One of the program. In this Phase One we are to prepare a concept proposal on what and how we plan to implement in Phase Two on three pilot areas. Funny enough that with our technology it was possible to quickly map one of the trial locations, in fact a greater area than marked off by the tenderer. We could do our demo during our pitch session on up and running live data. So, a part of the job for Phase Two is already done. 🙂

We will be back in Dublin in mid September to start working on the project and we are eagerly looking forward to meet as many people as possible to learn more about the footpath mobility issues and challenges in Ireland.

Feel like making the world a better place?

Let’s work together:

Accessibility map of Sziget Festival 2017

2017-08-142017-08-11 by Tom

Europe top 5 Festival chooses Route4U

We are proud to be the official accessibility map of this Europe top 5 festival – #Sziget2017!

Sziget – the Island of Freedom is now for Everyone

Wheelchair accessibility map and navigation of the 25th Sziget Festival is now available. You can find optimal routes, accessible services and toilets on the map. You can add accessibility info and obstacles in the app and help others by doing so. The map is kept up-to-date.

All Festival routes and services are mapped and color coded. – click on the map!

Check out the map here:

? iOS app: http://apple.co/2vf1Cgb
? Android app: http://bit.ly/2vIiTPF
? online map: http://bit.ly/2uBgtxX

Learn about our Smart Accessibility Plan!

We built an interactive accessibility map for Hungary’s largest university

2017-06-212017-03-16 by tibor

Eötvös Loránd University

or ELTE, founded in 1635 is a public research university based in Budapest, Hungary. It is the largest and one of the most prestigious universities in the country. ELTE is also Hungary’s largest scientific establishment with 118 PhD programs at 17 doctoral schools, and also offers 38 bachelor’s programs, 96 master’s programs, and over 50 degree programs in foreign languages. Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked the university among the best 301-400 globally.

University’s Disability Center

is responsible to provide direct and indirect services to any ELTE citizens, including the international students and staff. The aim of the newly estabilished Center is to ensure equal opportunity, accessibility and offer support to domestic and international students/teachers and staff across the University who have a disability or chronical illness which impacts upon their ability to participate fully in university life.

The problem

The fact that big percentage of the historic university buildings are not, or not entirely accessible by wheelchair is a big concern, even though the situation is getting better every year, thanks to renovations being in accordance with EU policies. New and old faculty buildings are scattered in Budapest, a city of nearly 2 million, so understandably the Disability Center wished to show their campuses’ exact accessibility situation. It was in every party’s best interest to make sure that relevant and up-to-date accessibility information is finally available on a searchable, easy-to-access online platform. Students can look up each facility’s accessibility themselves without the need of contacting the university’s Disability Center.

And this is where Route4U could help:

“the app gives self-sufficiency and the freedom of movement to students in active or electric wheelchairs. It is expanding the limits.”

Krisztina Kovács, ELTE Disability Center

Route4U, the world’s first sidewalk navigation app for wheelchair users

The Route4U app can be set to automatically collect sidewalk information (smoothness, slope and kerb data). Users can even add accessibility info manually to Points of Interest on the map by just a few taps on the screen. This is an extremely fast way to create maps that are truly useful for wheelchair users. Go ahead and try planning a convenient, wheelchair-accessible route on our online map of central Portsmouth, UK.

Our solution to the Problem

We surveyed each and every building defined in the project by ELTE, we talked to the operators and the local staff to make sure every fine detail is included in the facilities’ data sheet. We fine-tuned our database – which is originally based on OpenStreetmap data – to make sure everything is shown correctly on the map. The university buildings are now searchable both in the app and the web-map.

We added entrance, toilet and elevator information, as well as important comments to the buildings, to make sure everyone finds their way without trouble or delay.

Users can conveniently navigate the sidewalks in the surveyed areas (marked with coloured lines on the map). In addition we also surveyed the shortest route between every ELTE building, that are currenty out of the Budapest surveyed area, and the nearest accessible public transport stop. This way our users can safely and reliably get to the city center.

university route planning — Convenient route planned from Deák Sq. to an ELTE ÁJTK building

The results

As a result ELTE buildings’ accessibility details are now easy to search and access. In our crowd-sourced app and map, students (or the staff) can add important notes or even obstacles that are immediately noticable by others. ELTE is a large, public university with a growing number of students in wheelchair. Their buildings host numerous public events throughout the year, so not only the students and staff, but also the general public benefits from the product of this project.

Up-to-date accessibility information together with improving infrastructure is key to remaining one of the most progressive and disability friendly universities in Central Europe.

To find out more about our offer for universities, please contact peter.bodo@route4u.org tel.: +36 70 931 83 82

Testing the University Accessiblity Map with future students

This is Daniel and Adam. They plan to apply ELTE’s computer science program once they finish high school. We went for a walk together in the Faculty of Informatics, a relatively new ELTE Campus built in central Budapest. The guys used the app to look for routes from the low-floor tram to the accessible entry points of the building (not all of them are).

Since Route4U is a community tool, users can add useful information about Points of Interest everywhere they go. During our walk, Daniel, Adam and their friend successfully added accessibility info to a couple of cafés and restaurants around the Campus.

They also added complemenary info, that was important to them, to the Uni building’s data sheet. The guys told us, it’s comforting to know that ELTE already provides a tool to make sure they find their convenient way between and inside Campuses.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Route4U app

2016-10-052016-10-04 by tibor

What is Route4U?

Route4U is a community-contributed tool that helps You to navigate on the sidewalks of a city. The purpose of the application is to give you the highest possible level of freedom in mobility, whether you are in your hometown or out exploring a new city. In exchange You can also help the community in many ways. We have data available in every single city of the world.

How does it work?

First, download the iOS app here or the Android one here. Once you open the app, you’ll see a map with color coded information on it. These are
- Places – Points of Interests (circles),
- sidewalks and crossings (gray or coloured lines),
- and maybe obstacles (exclamation marks).
With Route4U, you can search for accessible places, and if there’s information available already, you can have personalized sidewalk routes planned between two locations.
You can also contribute:
- assess places’ accessibility,
- automatically map sidewalks and
- notify others about obstacles!
We also have a web based map, with limited functionality here.

What are the colours on the map?

We use colours on Places (or Points of Interest – POI), sidewalks and crossings.
Places can be gray, green, yellow and red.
- Green means the entrance is accessible with all kinds of wheelchairs.
- Yellow means entering is inconvenient but possible, either alone or with help.
- Red means “impossible” because of the characteristics of the entrance.
- Gray POI means insufficient data. But you can change that! 🙂

Sidewalks can be green, yellow, orange, red and gray. The colours show the smoothness and/or the steepness of the sidewalk surface.
- Orange is very inconvenient and
- red is impossible to roll on for most wheelchair users.
- Gray sidewalks are not yet mapped, but again, you can change that!
Crossings can also be green, yellow, orange, red and gray. Colours of crossings indicate their kerb height.
- You will definitely not have problems with green crossings, while
- red ones have at least 10 cm high kerbs.
Route4U’s Navigation function shows you personalized routes. You can set your accessibility preferences in the Settings.

Can I also change colour of Places or sidewalks?

Sure! By tapping any Place on the map, you see their accessibility info. If there is no information yet (it’s gray) or if you find it incorrect you can change it’s properties by tapping the pencil icon and set it according to your findings. You can also add text on relevant details at the bottom.

Please read our Assessment Guide to see what kind of toilets and entrances fit into which category. This way we can avoid false data appearing on the map. Don’t worry though! Sometimes it’s not easy to decide the colours. If you have doubts, just add some comments in the “Accessibility Details” box. See the guide here.

Every user can “survey” sidewalks, kerbs and preferred routes while they move around in the city. Tapping the ruler (survey button) – even if the area is already mapped – automatically helps the community by keeping the map data fresh and accurate. Same applies when using the app in navigation mode. During survey, Route4U collects sensor data of your phone, and turns it into accessibility maps. No data about our users or their routes is given to a third party. This automatic survey function works best when you roll on the sidewalks and crossings. Surveying while driving or sitting in the car collects false data – however our built-in artificial intelligence will filter these out. 🙂

What if the sidewalk would be fine, but is temporarily obstructed?

You can notify other users about that! Long tap on the map, choose “Obstacle“. You can even add a photo for others to see. These obstacles also count in the route planning process, if the sidewalk is blocked, Route4U will show you an alternative route.

Why does Route4U say “No route!” when I try to use the navigation function!

We can only show you accessible routes on the mapped areas. Route4U is a community based app, which means you and your friends can automatically map your city from zero, only by opening the app and tapping on the ruler icon. This way we receive sidewalk data that is turned into coloured sidewalk maps. If you are an active person from a not-yet mapped city, feel free to contact us at tibor@route4u.org and our cartographer will help you get things rolling.

Does Route4U follow me when I am not using the app?

Does Route4U use mobile data?

Yes, and GPS too.

Who can I contact if I have questions or something’s not working?

info@route4u.org or tibor@route4u.org

Oh, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook! 🙂

I would love to help! How do I join the fun?

2016-10-052016-09-24 by tibor

route4u felujított kossuth tér akadálymentes vincze zoltán

I would love to help! How do I join the fun?

You have multiple options. 🙂

Although we’re just starting our pilot in Portsmouth, UK, you can use the Route4U app anywhere in the world already. The general problem with services based on community-contribution is that reaching the minimum viable amount of data in a given area is not easy. This is why we designed our app to use OpenStreetMap data, this way we already have hunders, thousands of places (Points of Interest – POI) with accessibility data available in every town and city of the world.

This means that If you use wheelchairs or prams every day, you can still use the app, even though there will be no sidewalk navigation in your city at first, due to the inital lack of sidewalk data. Of course, since you can automatically “survey” sidewalks, crossings and road surfaces, you can be one of the pioneers of your area who help us put the map together.

By tapping on gray circles on the Route4U map, you can add accessibility information to that shop, venue, etc. This way, you notify every Route4U user in the world, about the accessibility of that place. In addition, this information will be available on OpenStreetMap too, for everyone to see. Check the current status of the Portsmouth map out here. Please read our Assessment Guide to see what kind of toilets and entrances fit into which category. This way we can avoid false data appearing on the map. Don’t worry though! Sometimes it’s not easy to decide the colours. If you have doubts, just add some comments in the “Accessibility Details” box. See the guide here.

You can also join the fun by following our Facebook page . We regularly share information about the map and the apps (both iOS and Android) organize events and share interesting stuff about the world of accessibility.

We also created a Route4U – UK Mapping closed Facebook group where our UK-based users can share feedback about map data and the app in general. We also hope to build an active community of accessiblity enthusiasts 🙂

As we mentioned above, sidewalk data is very difficult to collect – even with our automatic function – without a big number of active wheelchair or pram users on the city streets. This is why we cooperate with city councils to map the first version of the accessibility map, which is then continuously being updated by our users, just by rolling around the city streets. We provide cites with statistics, heat maps, and problematic locations data about their sidewalk network. Please contact our CEO: peter.bodo@route4u.org for more information!

Come with us, let’s get things rolling! 🙂

Live in Portsmouth? Come check this out! – Preliminary mapping of the Portsmouth pilot area has finished

2016-09-242016-09-23 by tibor

We collected sidewalk and crossing data on our trip to Portsmouth using the automatic survey funcion of the Route4U iOS application. We compared the result of this survey with open source data sets, and now released this preliminary sidewalk map of a pilot area in the centre of Portsmouth. We say it’s preliminary because only after Route4U users are actively contributing to the map, when all the shortcuts and personal routes are on it, we can say we’re ashore.

You are reading this because you are enthusiastic about wheelchair navigation, and you – as we do – actively work for a more convenient, more accessible world.

Before the October 1. start of our public test in Portsmouth, we would like YOU to check the map out, and give us feedback. We want to make sure it’s useful for locals and tourists alike. It looks like this now:

Check out the current status here. Right-click the map to plan an accessible route from A to B, or click on the grey circles (they are Points of Interest – POI) to view and assess their accessibility. You can also download the iOS app here, for more features and a much better user experience.

Please help us with these questions, let’s make sure everything is ready before setting sail:

Is there a pedestrian path connecting Anglesea Road and Guildhall Square? (behind King Henry Building and Park Building?) here: http://route4u.org/maps/#18.05/50.79791/-1.09389/0/1
Is the path from Guildhall Square to Victoria Park shown correctly on the map? here: http://route4u.org/maps/#18.08/50.79816/-1.09244/0/1
Surface smoothness of Commercial Road, do you agree it’s convenient “green”? here: http://route4u.org/maps/#18.73/50.80141/-1.08922/0/1
We love short routes! Do you? Are there any accessible arcades or other shortcuts that are not yet featured on the map of the surveyed area? See an example here: http://route4u.org/maps/#19.22/50.79659/-1.09253/0/1
You can show us your preferred routes (even if they’re not yet on the map) by tapping the “ruler” icon in the bottom left corner of the map in our iPhone app.
Have you encountered any map errors regarding sidewalk surfaces, crossings, curbs? You can pin them for review inside the app. Just make a long tap on the map and choose “Obstacle”. Please choose “Map improvement” and if you can, attach a photo of the problematic area by tapping the camera icon above the red face.

Since you’re definitely an early adopter,

Feel free to write a note in our mapping group about anything Route4U related, or send an email to our cartographer: tibor@route4u.org

If you feel like, you can start the public testing right away! By clicking on the grey circles on the map around you, you can assess their accessibility. The information becomes available to everyone in less then an hour! If you encounter any obstacles – temporary or permanent – why not put them on the map, as it is mentioned above? The Route4U route planner now takes this into consideration during sidewalk navigation!

You are amazing, thank You! 🙂

Oh and there’s more: during our campaign in October we’ll be solving a nice, online community puzzle game together. – Stay tuned!

Santa has switched from sleigh to wheelchair (from late 2015)

2016-10-052016-09-07 by tibor

(this is a translated article from late 2015)

Santa has already left Lapland… and it depends on You, when he’ll arrive!

Categorize places (Points Of Interests – bars, cafés, restaurants, gov. offices, hospitals, etc.) by deciding if it’s possible to enter with a wheelchair or not. By saving your survey result in our game, you help Santa with 1 km route, on his way from the North Pole. The distance is around 3000 kms to Budapest, so we’ll need you to check on 3000 places if you want him to arrive in time.

All the accessibility information you provide during the game is immediately shown in the Route4U application and online map and is real value to the wheelchair user community.

How does it work?

1. On the main page, click on the bottom-right arrow.

2. Choose the area where you want to play. The system will determine your position automatically, but it won’t always work due to phone and browser settings. Shall this occur, you can set your location by moving the map.

3. Choose the place you’d like to categorize and look for stairs at the entrace.

4. Finalize your choice by choosing one of the three colours.

5. Be proud of yourself, you’ve just created value! 🙂

Meaning of colours

No stairs at the entrance, doorstep is 3 centimeters maximum

There is a maximum of 1 stair at the entrance, not taller than 7 centimeters

There are more than 1 stairs at the entrance, or step is higher than 7 centimeters

Information Accessibility

Did you know that information about places’ accessibility is at least as important as phisical accessibility itself?

There are hunders of thousands of places on Hungary’s online map, but majority of them doesn’t have any info about accessibility. Now with a little cooperation we can achieve huge difference.

How can I join?

You can join the game on guruljszabadon.hu. You’ll hear about the latest news on our facebook page. If you like the initiation, and you suppose some of your friends might be interested in helping a good cause or spreading the word, please invite them too, so we can make the world a bit more convenient place.

Let’s do it Smart!

2016-09-052016-09-05 by tibor

What we do and why we do it, to make the world a better place

For those who’ve been following our work in the last year, it’s clear, that the aim of Route4U is to make the lives of people with disabilities better. But maybe even these followers of ours haven’t realized, that our solution’s impact on the whole of society is significant.

Today 2% of Hungary’s population is with reduced mobility. In towns and cities – since conditions are better – their percentage of the population is even higher. Based on census data, only 7% of working-age disabled people work. This puts huge stress on society. Another, Western European survey’s results show that more than 50% of non-working people with disabilites would love to, if the conditions were sufficient. Younger generations’ access to accessible education helps them grow into adults actively helping society, even on the job market.

Higher incomes of working disabled people, hand in hand with accessible services, result in increased consumption in settlements, which is one of the key factors of growth and development .

Integration is everyone’s business and everyone’s interest, not only local governments’ and of those affected.

Sounds good, but why doesn’t it just work by itself?

Looking at the problem from the views of all affected parties, it’s the lack of information what’s really conspicuous. Those affected do not have the neccessary information on accessible routes, barriers, accessible services/places and alternative routes, especially when they are not in their everyday environment. Decision makers do not have the necceessary dataset to decide the best spots to use the limited funds available for this matter. And the majority society simply does not know the needs and expectations – which are, in majority of cases are easily achievable with minor effort – of those with disabilites.

If the root of all problems is the lack of information, they can be solved by communication and infocommunication means.

How?

The base of all this is city map with accessibility information. We create these, commissioned by local goverments by systemtically mapping sidewalks, curbs, slopes and services of a town or city. Thanks to our innovative technology, this is extremely fast and cost efficient, and also very cheap compared to city budgets. Personalized sidewalk navigation and search of the accessible services is available for the mapped areas shortly after our survey. We involve local organizations and the majority society in the survey. We raise awareness of the importance of equal opportunities with targeted, gamified communication campaigns. Thanks to our awareness-raising communication, it’s not uncommon that shops and other services of the city invest in accessibility plainly for business considerations. Don’t think about thousands of Euros here. Mounting a few Euros, bluetooth enabled disability bell on the outside of the shop not only helps a person in wheelchair, it also raises the prestige of the shop by making others content with the shop owners’ proactive behaviour. It also helps spreading the word and the idea.

Thanks to the wheelchair users actively using Route4U, local governments can see the problematic points in the sidewalk infrastructure, making it possible to plan development or refurbishment priorities based on real-life data. Effective problem management increases voter satisfaction.

In our view, if we plan to achieve fast and spectacular results, we need more complex approach than that was available before.
We are confident that the issue can only be solved, if all parties of society take part in the process, and not because of obligations of law, but for their own interests. It’s not the City Leadership’s duty to know and solve every local problem themselves, but to operate as a catalyst to help setting up a chain reaction, which grows into a self-sustaining system.

Role of the majority society is to realize their own interests in integration and to find opportunities in it. Route4U’s mission is to give platform to the most effective information flow between all actors. This is a “Smart City” answer to the problem of integration. This is why we built Route4U and this is how we’ll continue to build it in the future.

We call it Smart Accessibility.

Please contact us for further information about our solution.

Our fast and cost-efficient accessibility mapping at Sziget Festival

2016-09-012016-08-31 by tibor

“Sziget” is held every August in Budapest, Hungary and it’s been voted best European Major Festival multiple times. The 25th Sziget attracted over half a million visitors from all over the world, a small percentage of them were wheelchair users or members of other disability groups. All the stages and venues, camping areas, bars and fast-food restaurants are located on an island of the river Danube, hence the name “sziget”, which translates to “island” in Hungarian.

Sziget accomodated an Ability Camping with big, cleaned-up camping spots, accessible toilets/showers and they had also built – together with the company of the same name – an “Ability Park” where abled and disabled festival-goers could walk in their peers’ boots by trying games, solving quizes, drawing, walking in a maze, climbing walls and cycling blindfolded.

Festival nights can be quite chaotic, where accidents happen 🙂 Everyone with broken, bruised limbs or other movement-impairing injuries ended up in the Ability Camping. These people, together with other wheelchair users, could use Route4U, our iOS smartphone application to search for and navigate to accessible venues, toilets and lookouts inside the festival’s huge area. They could use the app in Budapest, and also in their own cities, after arriving back home. Find out more about Route4U here.

Survey

The island is a recreational area throughout the year with patches of forest, muddy or gravel paths and lots of grass. Our first step was – since we use OSM data in our maps – to check and verify the already available path and sidewalk data of the island. After our field survey, surface smoothness data were added to the network. Just one day before Sziget opened, we surveyed the stages, art installations, food and drink places, and other venues. We even ventured to the Northern tip of the island, where people could swim in the Danube and enjoy the cool shades of the riverside forest.

All the Points of Interests (POI) in Route4U have an accessibility (entrance) and an accessible toilet attribute. We had only set these “green” on the venues without steps, and on the few accessible toilets and showers, to make sure our users find what they were looking for: accessible places in the festival area. All the “grey”, not yet verified POIs on our map are waiting for community feedback. After they are evaluated, they appear in the application with their new colour.

Even though the festival area is not yet connected to the Budapest Route4U sidewalk network, we surveyed routes from the festival entrance to low-floor public transportation stops.

Use and feedback

We reached our goal: Route4U was the best festival venue finder smartphone solution for Sziget 2016. After a rainy night some of our users even marked osbtacles, such as huge puddles or untraversable muddy spots. In these areas, our route planning function worked just fine, as the suggested route evaded the problematic areas.

We received some useful feedback too: for colourful events like music festivals, the map needs to be merrier too, especially our icons (POIs). Go ahead and download Route4U here, we have accessibility data available in your city too.

Sziget in pictures: