FGC trains unveil new voice guidance system for visually impaired

Blind and partially sighted passengers on Catalan government-operated FGC trains will now be able to benefit from a new voice guidance system facilitating their travel on the Barcelona-Vallès and Llobregat-Anoia lines. 

The NaviLens technology, which was unveiled this Wednesday at the Gràcia station in Barcelona, works via an app that scans large color codes placed strategically around stations. 

When a phone using the NaviLens app detects a code, an audio message then informs the visually impaired person of their surroundings, making it easier for them to get around the station safely and independently.

As was demonstrated by Pep Llop, a blind man who uses a seeing-eye dog, the person using the technology does not need to focus their phone directly at the color codes as NaviLens is able to detect them when they are up to 20 meters away.

NaviLens is particularly useful in stations that are unfamiliar to the visually impaired, Llop said, adding that he was less likely to wave his phone around in places he knows well. 

Catalan territory minister Ester Capella, who attended the demonstration, said authorities were committed to expanding this technology to other train lines, but was unable to specify when this would be the case. 

"NaviLens allows for more independence and autonomy," Capella said, adding that it "complements" the abilities of the blind and partially sighted as well as those with other disabilities. 

NaviLens is available for free on GooglePlay and the iPhone App Store in whatever language the user's phone is in.