Smartphone App Tested To Help Visually Impaired Train Users
Volunteers with visual impairments have taken part in a test run of a smartphone app designed to help them use train services safely.
The experiment was conducted at a station in Saitama Prefecture on Wednesday by Tobu Railways, a major insurance company and an app service developer. They hope to prevent falls and other accidents.
The volunteers used the app while walking in the station building and on platforms, and riding a train.
Specialized operators remotely gave the users necessary information based on footage sent from their smartphones.
Two blind women talked with the operators about the locations of tactile guidance strips on platforms and the content of electric notice boards at the station.
The organizers say they will continue the test through next January to improve the app's usability and user safety. They also say they will address station-related matters such as noise and securing stable communication.
One volunteer, Fujii Mitsue, said the app is very useful and provides reassurance that she can get support when she feels unsure. But she added that it is essential for her to secure her own safety.
A Tobu Railways employee in charge of customer service, Shiiki Nobu, said the company hopes the app will help people with visual impairment take trains and find new things.