Mobility for the visually impaired: inauguration of the inmob test track on the Nantes campus

On Monday, March 11, the new walking trail for the inmob project (handicap mapping by INertial measurement to facilitate MOBility) was inaugurated on the Nantes campus of the Université Gustave Eiffel in the presence of Christelle Morançais, President of the Pays de la Loire Region, Gilles Roussel, President of the Université Gustave Eiffel, Philippe Tamagny, Director of the Nantes campus, Virginie Renaudin, Director of the Géoloc laboratory at the Université Gustave Eiffel, and Sylvain Denoncin, President of OKEENEA.

Getting around town when you're blind or partially sighted remains a major challenge, even with the use of a white cane or the assistance of a guide dog. Although GPS applications on smartphones are available, they have notable limitations. Their accuracy can sometimes vary by as much as 5 meters, exposing the visually impaired to considerable accident risks.

The test track simulates a complete urban environment, with sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic lights, reserved lanes and bus stops, among other features. Participants are fitted with sensors that record data such as their speed, walking style and ability to navigate in space. This data will be used to develop a guidance application in partnership with the OKEENEA company, aiming to achieve meter-level accuracy. The project is due to run until August 2025, with a test phase in real conditions after the Paris Olympics, in the Olympic Village.

voir les photos