HaptiMap - Haptic, Audio and Visual Interfaces for Maps and Location Based Services

 The goal of the HaptiMap project is the fundamental embedding of the accessible design concept in mainstream maps and local based services (lbs) to significantly increase the mobility of the elderly and people with different disabilities. 

• This will be achieved by pursuit of the following strategies:
• Tools will be developed which simplify the embedding of adaptable, multimodal components in their applications thus better supporting the individual requirements of the users and therefore increase accessibility.
• Suggestions to extend existing design guidelines will be proposed which will ensure the consideration of accessibility issues throughout the entire product developing process.
• In general, awareness for accessibility shall be raised.

Furthermore workshops will be held for industrial participants in order to make them aware of and sensitize them for accessibility and a learning module will be developed which already introduces engineer and design students to this topic in the scope of their studies. 

The prototypes, developed in the project, will be demonstrated and evaluated in different environments (cities and national parks) and scenarios (target oriented navigation and tourist information) in order to prove the practical application of the developed tools and guidelines. 

Within the project the C-LAB will carry out various workshops with participants of the different target groups, in order to determine the user requirements for the applications and devices being developed. These new requirements will be included in new guidelines and extensions to existing guidelines on the one hand and on the other hand in the specification for prototypes and demo applications. 

The C-LAB will quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the prototypes, developed in the project, with selected users from the intended target groups. 

The C-LAB will, through its close collaboration with national, European and international standardisation  bodies i.e. DIN, CEN/CLC, ISO, etc., accelerate the approval of the developed new guidelines and extension to existing guidelines. 

The C-LAB, as the cooperation of the Siemens IT Solutions and Services GmbH and the University of Paderborn, will distribute the research results in the area of accessible design in collaboration with industry associations i.e. BITKOM, Digital Europe,  and in the academic world by means of workshops, learning modules and publications. 

The focus of the C-LAB regarding all activities will lie in the accessible design of applications and services, thus promoting independent living of people with various disabilities (reduced vision, hearing and cognitive capabilities) regardless of age and cause of their limitations.

Project funded by: EU
Project duration: 09/2008 - 08/2012 (Das HaptiMap-Projekt wird ab dem 1.7.2011 von der Siemens AG (CT) weitergeführt.)

Project partners: