South Korean car maker Hyundai has started a pilot programme in Singapore to demonstrate an indoor and outdoor navigation system that helps people with visual impairment.

It is working with technology start-ups to provide an integrated navigation guide using hardware-free positioning and obstacle monitoring with computer vision.

The group is partnering SG Enable (www.sgenable.sg), the focal agency for disability and inclusion in Singapore, and the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) on this initiative.

This pilot marks the second phase of the group’s Universal Mobility Project to help people with disabilities through the broad application of its smart mobility technology for end-to-end journeys. The group completed the first phase by launching EnableLA in Los Angeles, California, in 2021 to improve the transportation of people with mobility barriers, using wheelchair-accessible Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride SUVs.

The development of this assistive mobility option aligns seamlessly with the Hyundai’s smart city vision, which was unveiled at the 2022 World Cities Summit in Singapore. The vision depicts a future urban landscape that is centred around human values. It emphasises the integration of diverse mobility, including navigation features designed to address transportation problems faced by people with disabilities.

“To realise a smart city where every citizen can enjoy the freedom of mobility, it is necessary to develop end-to-end mobility that supports the entire movement process, from pre-boarding to post-boarding of a vehicle,” said Hyeyoung Kim, vice president at Hyundai Motor Group. “To make fundamental changes that achieve our goal, it will take collaborative efforts across the entire ecosystem, including the public and private sectors, not just by a single company.”

The technology will be tested in Enabling Village (enablingvillage.sg), the first inclusive community space in Singapore dedicated to integrating persons with disabilities into society.

More information about Hyundai can be found at www.hyundaimotorgroup.com.