3SW - Making journeys easier

How the MAPPED project could signal a revolution in accessible travel information provision.

Do you find a quick journey to the shops involves military scale planning, or does the idea of organising days out in the summer holidays give you nightmares? Well read on to find out about an interesting new journey planning concept that Hampshire County Council have been working on.

 

Hampshire County Council’s Intelligent Transport Systems Group (ITS) have been involved in innovative journey planning advances for many years, linking with European partners on research and development projects. By exploiting advances in technology and the public’s rapid uptake of new communications services, it has been possible to develop a whole range of journey planning systems that can be beneficial to all members of society. Most recently, we have just completed a 42 month project called MAPPED (Mobility and Accessibility Planning for People with Disabilities).

The main aims of the MAPPED project were to:

In order to do this, the MAPPED consortium have developed bespoke journey planning software which can be used on a PDA (hand-held computer or smart phone). This software allows the user to plan a journey on the move using public transport or a pedestrian or wheelchair-friendly route. The user is also given departure and arrival times and relevant information about the service e.g. if a bus is low floor etc.

In addition to the route planning function, MAPPED also contains a database of Points of Interest (POIs) such as shops, restaurants and tourist attractions. Contact details for each POI can be viewed on screen, as can detailed information about the accessibility of a building. For example, accessibility information can be called up about the entrance, lifts etc. and whether services such as induction loops or Braille menus are available. All of this can be tailored to the individual users profile to ensure the information is relevant and useful.

In Winter 2007, field trials of the prototype MAPPED system were held in Winchester and Dublin with a range of potential end users including: wheelchair users, ambulant disabled, people with sight or hearing impairments, and the elderly. The software was tested on a Siemens Fujitsu LOOX PDA, chosen because it included an integral GPS receiver and a QWERTY keyboard as well as a touch screen. A huge amount of feedback was gathered about the users’ opinion of the software and the PDA hardware, the usefulness of such a system to them and areas for improvement.

Consultations were also held with a number of experts in the fields of public transport provision and disabled access needs, and with POI owners. Discussions with Adult and Children’s Services representatives soon highlighted another potential end user group: carers and parents of disabled children. With one in seven of the adult population a carer at any one time there is enormous potential for a tool like MAPPED to be of use to many people.

The results of the trials were generally very positive. They will be made available to potential market developers through the European Union’s research programmes to enable ongoing improvements to this type of service. Overall the concept was well received and the software was accepted by trialists. The need for improved travel information and mobile journey planning amongst disabled people was established, with an overwhelming 84% of end users saying a system like MAPPED would be useful to them.

The main concerns related to the hardware, with many users finding the screen and buttons too small to use. There were also problems with the speed of response, mostly due to difficulties maintaining good GPS signal reception in the trial areas. Unfortunately, we have had to conclude that it would be virtually impossible to source a PDA which best matches the requirements of all potential end users, because everyone is so different in terms of their manual dexterity, eyesight and personal preferences. Instead, we have suggested that the journey planning software should be available in a format that allows it to be used through a choice of hardware e.g. the owner’s PC, mobile phone or PDA.

The technology tested within MAPPED is relatively new and it will be a significant undertaking to develop MAPPED into a commercial product, particularly as income from such a product would be limited. While satellite navigation systems for car journeys are now widely available, the same service for pedestrians, particularly including detailed accessibility information, is not yet commercially available. However, rapid advances in communications and hand-held computer technology mean it is only a matter of time before a system like MAPPED can break into the market, as either a stand alone product or as an add-on to existing journey planning systems. So, watch this space…!

For more information on MAPPED visit the website http://services.txt.it/MAPPED/index.jsp, or you can contact Frankie Dunckley on 01962 847968, or email: frankie.dunckley@hants.gov.uk.

 

DONT FORGET:  eHampshire 3SW Conference 21 May 2008.