Gwangju Dong-gu Selected as Finalist in Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 'Gonggam e Gadeuk' Contest

Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, has been selected for the final round in the '2024 Data-Driven Regional Revitalization Project (Gonggam e-Gadeuk)' competition organized by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korea Local Information Research & Development Institute with the project titled 'Establishment of a VR (Virtual Reality) Safety Education System for Electric Wheelchairs Running with Accident Risks.'

The Gonggam e-Gadeuk project focuses on solving local issues closely related to residents' lives through collaboration among businesses, local governments, and residents using digital technology. This year, 63 projects were submitted nationwide, and 10 projects were finally selected.

The 'Establishment of a VR Safety Education System for Electric Wheelchairs Running with Accident Risks' project is a consortium between Dong-gu and GN ICT Co., Ltd., aiming to prevent accidents involving electric wheelchairs, which have become essential transportation means for the elderly and people with disabilities.

By utilizing digital technology, the project plans to systematically provide emergency response safety and operation training through the construction of a VR electric wheelchair safety education simulator. It is also expected to reduce high costs and space requirements compared to building dedicated practice grounds and decrease accidents caused by inexperience.

Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, said, "As the number of electric wheelchair users and safety accident cases has recently increased, we expect this project to help prevent safety accidents caused by inexperience." He added, "We will continue to discover and promote various policies to ensure the safety of the lives of people with disabilities and the elderly."