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| September 17, 2010 |
Field Tests for “Pedestrian Support Systems” in Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture in Collaboration with “the Tanba Sasayama Ubiquitous Promotion Association” |
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation (“NTT West”; HQ: Osaka; President: Shinichi Otake) in collaboration with the Tanba Sasayama Ubiquitous Promotion Association (Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture; President: Yukio Kaneno), which was selected as one of the 2010 Mobility Support Model Project Implementation venues of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, will conduct field tests in Sasayama of Pedestrian Support Systems for the visually impaired beginning from October 22, 2010 (Friday).
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1. Background
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Japan is rapidly becoming an aging society with a declining birthrate, and this requires the creation of an environment that enables senior citizens and those with physical disabilities and others who need some support in their daily life to lead independent and active lives.
NTT West has provided welfare telephone such as emergency alert devices, Braille telephone directories, and many other welfare services. With the development of information and communication technology (ICT) over the past several years, NTT West has broadened the scope of its research and development activities, and has conducted research and development of a new technology called Assistive Communication Technology (“ACT”) in which ICT is used to support people's daily activities, in order to expand the environment in which senior citizens and people with disabilities can pursue active and productive lives.
It is against this background that in Sasayama City, Hyogo, led by the Tanba Sasayama Ubiquitous Promotion Association, which was selected as a 2010 Mobility Support Model Project leader by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, a field test will be carried out of a mobile support information system based on ubiquitous technology etc. beginning from September 25, 2010 (Saturday).
NTT West is participating in this project as a member of the Tanba Sasayama Ubiquitous Promotion Association, and as part of this public testing, NTT West will conduct field tests of a pedestrian support system utilizing ACT (refer to Attachment 1).
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2. Overview of the Field Tests
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NTT West will conduct field tests of “Call Center-based Voice Pedestrian Support System” and “Voice Information Pedestrian Support System” for the visually impaired.
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(1) Field Test Period
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October 22, 2010 (Friday) to December 11, 2010 (Saturday), every Friday and Saturday (a total of 16 days)
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(2) Field Test Venue
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The Sasayama Castle district, Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture
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(3) Test Participants
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Approximately 50 visually impaired residents of Osaka and Hyogo Prefectures
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(4) Description of the Field Tests
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Call Center-based Voice Pedestrian Support System |
The test participants will wear an eyeglasses-type device equipped with a camera, bone conduction headphones, and a microphone. The camera will transmit images in real time over the Internet to the call center.
The operator at the call center will provide pedestrian support combining the transmitted image and geographical information to the participant through the bone conduction headphones as well as assistance when problems arise by using the microphone to talk to the participant.
The field text is aimed at verifying and evaluating the reliability of the support given by the call center; skills and information required for the call center operators; and the frequency, content and average response time for the inquiries from the participants and other aspects of how the system is used. |
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Voice Information Pedestrian Support System |
The participants will carry a voice playback device enabling them, as they walk, to obtain voice route guidance about such non-visual elements of the environment as changes in the street surface, particular sounds, and smells.
The field test aims to evaluate whether the use of voice information, the effectiveness of which has been demonstrated in inside environments, can also be effective in outside environments as well, and what kind of information is most effective for pedestrian support. |
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3. Future Schedule
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Going forward, utilizing the knowledge and know-how gained from these field tests as well as reviewing in depth other field tests and business models implemented in a variety of environments, NTT West will strive to realize services supporting not only senior citizens and people with disabilities, but people of all, in their lives and daily activities.
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Reference:
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FY2010 Mobility Support Model Projects Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Starting from 2009, in order to address various community issues, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has supported leading-edge initiatives aimed at creating an environment where any pedestrian can obtain mobility information through the use of ubiquitous technology within the content of community development. Seven such projects were selected in FY2010, one of which was the Sasayama City project. |
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The Tanba Sasayama Ubiquitous Promotion Association is a corporation established through the investment of Sasayama City. Since its establishment it has served as a supplemental provider of administrative services on behalf of the city in such areas as the administration and operation of historical and cultural facilities including the Sasayama Castle Oshoin and Historical Artifacts Museum, administration and operation of the Sasayama Children's Museum, dispatch of librarians to the Sasayama City Library and switchboard operations. Selected to coordinate a mobility support project, which is a project entrusted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the association will commence the public testing of mobility support information systems utilizing ubiquitous computing technology in the Sasayama Castle district of Sasayama City, beginning from September 25, 2010 (Saturday). |
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- Attachment: Pedestrian Support System Utilizing ACT
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For inquiries contact:
(Mr.) Shibata or (Mr.) Wake
Research and Development Center
Technology Innovation Department
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation
TEL.:+81-6-3920-7981
E-Mail: at@rdc.west.ntt.co.jp
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Information on this News Release is as of Press Release was published. Please note that the written information could be different from the latest.
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