Research institutes in Hyogo Prefecture have developed a map application that determines whether a slope is safe for wheelchair users and others according to their ability to pass.
The Hyogo Prefectural Welfare Research Institute has jointly developed a smartphone map application named "Nabizaka" in collaboration with a company.
Depending on the degree of disability, you can choose from four levels of wheelchair riding ability, enter the origin and destination, and multiple routes will be shown on the map.
For slopes along the route, it is judged whether or not it is possible to pass based on the degree of inclination and the force of the road, and ▽ blue if it is passable, ▽ yellow if it is difficult,
and
▽ red
if it is not passable.
According to the research institute, it is still in the prototype stage, but it can be used anywhere in the world.
Since it is possible to grasp in advance whether a caregiver is needed even in a place that is visited for the first time, the institute would like to recruit companies in the future and aim to commercialize it.
Longming Chen, director of the Prefectural Institute for Welfare and Community Development, says, "I would like not only people in wheelchairs but also elderly people who have difficulty going back and forth on slopes to use it."