Interactive cloud system for the analysis of accessibility in smart cities

Abstract

Recent technological progress has enabled the spread of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to new applications possible with the aim to improve citizens' quality of life. This idea has been significantly increasing in political agendas as well as in the public services. The concepts of Smart-city or Sustainable-city are possible thanks to the application of technology. The focus of this work is on people with movement disabilities and the goal of the whole system is to meet their real needs and requirements. As a result, this article presents the possibilities offered by new ICTs to design a method for generating knowledge about accessibility issues in urban environments. In this sense, a comprehensive system aided by technology is proposed to analyse the transportation accessibility in a city. The research tries to make visible the most vulnerable groups of citizens, involving them as active participants and to serve as a way of social awareness. It aims to improve the knowledge of the current accessibility level and to improve the interaction and learning of all actors and groups involved - government, institutions, researchers, professionals, people with disabilities and other individuals of society in general. To perform and implement the system, the latest advances in technologies such as GPS positioning, geographic information systems, smart sensing and cloud computing have been used. The combination of all these technologies allows an interactive, dynamic and constantly updated approach. © 2016 WIT Press.