Development of 'Intelligent IoT Utilization Model' for 4 Months Since August Last Year... Secured 150 Million KRW Budget Through Ministry of the Interior and Safety Pilot Project Competition Research
Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that it completed a pilot project for a barrier-free path guidance service for transportation-vulnerable groups such as the visually impaired on December 21 last year.
Prior to this pilot project, the district noted that the underground space of Jamsil Station in 2022 presented complicated walking conditions for the visually impaired. Based on this, it proposed and conducted a project to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to improve the walking environment by attaching address-based Internet of Things (IoT) sensors.
This year, building on the previous year's research, the district began a study to provide a barrier-free path guidance service for outdoor sections for visually impaired people using the Seoul Blind Welfare Center within the area.
By applying to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's pilot project, the district secured 150 million KRW in national funding and carried out the project for four months starting in August last year.
The district set the research section as Jamsil Station - Songpa-daero - Seokchon Lake - Baekjegobun-ro 27-gil - Seoul Blind Welfare Center, where visually impaired people frequently travel. In this section, using IoT technology, they installed ▲8 acoustic signal devices ▲34 intelligent basic number plates combining addresses with voice guidance devices ▲2 intelligent building number plates at the Seoul Blind Welfare Center, enabling location information to be received through the visually impaired navigation app ‘G-EYE’.
Through this, the district provided an environment where visually impaired people can walk freely and safely with accurate location correction.
Visually impaired participants in the research demonstration cited the convenience of using the service linked with the smartphone app and the ease of location identification through address guidance via signal and guidance devices as advantages. However, since the installations were limited to a specific route from Jamsil Station to the Seoul Blind Welfare Center, the pilot project area, they expressed a desire for future expansion to a wider area.
Based on the results of this pilot project, the district plans to propose policies utilizing address-based IoT, including smart address information facility address assignment and production standards, institutional improvements for facility installation, and education and promotion for the visually impaired.
Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “We will continue to provide better public services through various policy proposals to create an urban environment where transportation-vulnerable groups can walk safely.”
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