TOKYO: A next-generation navigation system that provides audio guidance to rental bicycle users via satellite data and a smartphone is being tested in the area around Tsukuba Express Asakusa Station in Taito Ward, Tokyo.
The system selects routes that are preferable for bicyclists, such as those that avoid uphill slopes. Its audio features are available in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean.
With an eye toward the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Taito Ward and its partners plan to continue improving the system so it can be used to attract overseas tourists.
The testing is being conducted by a panel on geospatial transportation management comprising the Taito Ward government, Nagoya University and others.
Together with a receiver for the satellite signal, a smartphone equipped with a dedicated app was installed on the handlebars of 20 rental bicycles in the ward. After the user inputs a destination into the smartphone, the system provides audio instructions such as “Proceed straight ahead” or “Turn right at the next intersection.”
The audio is transmitted through bone conduction headphones, which convert sound into weak vibrations that are transmitted through bones near the ears.
Unlike regular headphones or earphones, they do not block the ear canal, making it possible to clearly hear outside sounds such as car horns or railroad crossing warnings.
