The University of Castilla La-Mancha is developing an indoor guidance solution for people with disabilities

The University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) has completed the development of the Elcano project, which is an indoor guidance solution for people with disabilities, completed within the framework of the Indra-Adecco Foundation Chair of Accessible Technologies, which presented today the activities that were carried out this past year.

The objective of the Elcano project, launched in 2010, is to facilitate and optimise mobility for people with disabilities in large public settings such as airports, stations, libraries and other large buildings belonging to the Administration.

To do so, a navigation infrastructure has been developed, consisting of a smart information service about the surrounding area, a multi-mode positioning system that integrates different technologies (RFID, WiFi cells, cameras), and a personal navigation device for the handicapped individual using a mobile phone or tablet.

The personal device's modular design allows adapting the application to different types of disabilities by properly interpreting the information gathered about each setting. For example, in the case of a blind person, it provides audio information; in the case of a death person, it provides visual information; and in the case of a person with a physical disability, it will display maps that take into account architectural barriers. In these last cases, Augmented Reality techniques allow superimposing relevant information (destinations, routes, etc.) over the image captured by a camera.

Renewed commitment to Accessible Technologies

The Rector of the UCLM, Miguel Ángel Collado, the Executive Vice President of Indra, Santiago Roura, and the President of the Adecco Foundation, José María Echevarría y Arteche, have attended the event to present this project and the other activities for the Chair. All have reaffirmed their commitment to the development of new innovative solutions that favour the social and occupational integration of people with disabilities.

This commitment has been made apparent in the signing of an agreement for the launch of a new Accessible Technologies research project called Argos, which will consist in developing technical assistance so that people with disabilities can perform document management tasks.

During the presentation event, the director of the Chair, Juan Carlos López, highlighted that, aside from the activities in the field of Accessible Technologies, the UCLM Chair also includes other activities such as event sponsorships, training programmes, the Award for the Best Final Project at the School of Computer Science in Ciudad Real, as well as scholarships and internships at Indra for students of that school.

On the other hand, the director of the Indra Software Labs network, Ángel Villodre, stressed that the Indra centre in Ciudad Real is the leading qualified employment site in Castilla-La Mancha, with currently more than 550 professionals employed, and most obtained their degrees from the UCLM.

Indra-UCLM Mixed Research Centre

The UCLM Chair adheres to the Mixed Research Centre that Indra and the University of Castilla-La Mancha have jointly maintained in Ciudad Real since May 2001, and it serves as an instrument for carrying out research activities, developing and transferring technology, training and dissemination of information in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

The centre has been established as a reference in university-corporate collaborations, creating the appropriate setting that facilitates the transfer of scientific knowledge about new technologies and research activities through joint participation in R&D projects. This collaboration framework between Indra and the UCLM has promoted the development of projects funded by numerous public announcements (CENIT, Avanza, etc.) and in relevant fields such as energy management (smart grids) or environmental protection (the fight against forest fires).

Innovation as a key value

Innovation is the cornerstone of Indra's business, the core of its sustainability as a company, and the differentiating key for its offer of solutions and services. Its collaboration with the university is in line with an open innovation model through which the multinational searches for and promotes innovation and talent internally and also through its relations with customers, partners, vendors, universities and knowledge institutions, as well as with society in general.

In the field of researching Accessible Technologies, the company has launched, in collaboration with the Adecco Foundation, eight chairs at different universities and it has carried out more than 30 R&D&i projects.

University of Castilla-La Mancha

The UCLM is the main reference for higher learning and research in the Castilla-La Mancha region. This institution has campuses in Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo, and locations in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo) and Almadén (Ciudad Real). The UCLM is a modern and competitive university with 30,000 students, approximately 2,200 professors and researchers, and slightly more than 1,000 administrative and service professionals. Its commitment to excellence is apparent in its excellent positioning within the Spanish university system.

 

Indra

Indra is the leading consultancy technology multinational in Spain and a leader in Europe and Latin America. Innovation is the cornerstone of its business and sustainability, having allocated €550 million to R&D in the last three years, making it one of the leading companies in Europe in its sector in terms of investment. With sales approaching €3,000 million, 55% of its income is from the international market. The company employs 42,000 professionals and has customers in 118 countries.

Adecco Foundation

Established in July 1999, the Adecco Foundation is the result of the social responsibility the Adecco company has assumed as the world leader in human resources. Its main objective is the inclusion in the job market of people who, due to their personal characteristics, find it harder to gain employment.

The Adecco Foundation has work placement programmes for:

• Men and women over the age of 45 who have been unemployed for an extensive period of time.
• People with a disability
• Women with sole responsibility for their families and/or victims of gender violence
• High performance athletes or former athletes