New Budapest map application is world leader

Budapest barrier-free mobile map is ready. The world novelty application  developed by the Hungarian startup Route4U was presented at a press conference in Budapest on Thursday. At the event, several mixed, wheelchair-walking groups set off to try out the application in practice, szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu said.

Peter Bodo, founder of Route4U, the application developer said: the app makes easier the movement of the people in wheelchairs, which shows the accessibility of locations with color schemes, along with the leading ways, sidewalks and crosswalks. The data are collected partially by the users and the smart phones’ built-in sensors – accelerometer, tilt-sensor – automatically – he said.

The program is available only in Hungarian so far, but by the end of the year, the English, German, Dutch and Spanish-language versions will be available, and in addition for Android, for iPhones as well. Over 120 users have tested the app so far, the range of users is growing. Besides other cities of the country, there are people who interested in it from Vienna, Switzerland and Canada as well, szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu said.

The development is a global novelty because – although there have already been applications which showed a specific area’s accessibility – it is the first one where the map is also expanding by recording the automatically-measurable data. By the increase of users’ number, it is not impossible the complete mapping of the country or even Europe. Where there is a complete, mapped network, the decision makers of the local government can use it, they have already contacted BKK (Budapest Transport Center).

According to Kinga Marton Mathe, national director of Hungarian Tourism Zrt., the development can contribute to the revitalizing of accessible tourism too.

based on the article of szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu
translated by BA

Photo: szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu

Source: http://www.szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu