Keolis, in co-construction with Île-de-France Mobilités, the conurbation authority of Versailles Grand Parc, SNCF and the Valentin Haüy Association – which acts on behalf of people affected by sight loss – is currently conducting an experiment at Versailles Chantiers station, designed to help blind and partially sighted people become more independent when they travel thanks to the NaviLens app.
Already in use or undergoing trials on public transport networks in cities around the world, notably in Spain (Barcelona and Murcia) and the US (New York, Los Angeles and San Diego), NaviLens technology is based on image recognition using “augmented” QR codes, placed along designated customer itineraries, and a smartphone app that provides voice guidance for visually impaired passengers.
The app allows users to capture QR codes at considerable distances and wide angles. Once the QR codes have been scanned, users can benefit from the help of the app’s voice assistant to continue their journey, the voice assistant having told them how far away they are from the codes and the practical information those codes contain (description of a physical element, guidance indications, real-time arrivals of the next bus or train, etc.).