Smart City Design for Accessibility – Test in Korea
Interesting company based in South Korea which focuses on Accessibility. Braille is a large focus technology. Smart City is a big focus.
- 40 million blind people in Korea
- Technologies include their Dot pad, the Dot braille smartwatch (think Stevie Wonder) and the Dot reader.
- Official e-text book for blind in the USA
- Working with Apple and Google
- Total Available Market = $3B (7.6 million people under 50 with severe sight impairment)
- Major Partners Smart City
- South Korea
- Qatar
- China
- Smart City Market = 220B
- Infrastructure Barrier-Free is catchphrase
- Old style infrastructure is not barrier free
- 28% of Busan are disabled
Resources
- Dot_English_compressed
- YouTube presentation – link
- YouTube background – link
Some More Background Information
Dot formed a consortium with companies in industries related to smart cities and applied for the’ Smart City Challenge’ with the theme of barrier-free transportation & tourism. [The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport] and [Busan City] finally adopted the proposal by May 28, 2020.
Dot would like to build a barrier-free transportation infrastructure at a city-level that will enable the people with disabilities to use comfortably any infrastructure. Through our partnership, Dot will transform Busan city into a barrier-free smart city through collaboration and it will expand other global cities and beyond.
Information accessibility is not always carried out in consideration of the vulnerable class when we design smart cities. Since the people with disabilities face a difficulty to access infrastructure in the city, a ‘Barrier-free’ Smart City concept started to appear.
However, this ambitious goal will not be achieved alone. Only with the full co-operation of all parties involved, we can succeed. And we are keenly aware of the necessity of ‘Super Cooperation’ among companies that provide the infrastructure, facility, equipment, and its related service for Smart City. Together, we can conceptualize Barrier-free Smart City for the people with disabilities.
We’re dedicated to being your reliable partner to make an authentic smart city.
Touch the Connected World, Dot by Dot
The world has been undergoing rapid digital transformation through IoT, 5G, Big Data, and AI technologies. However, ironically, such technological advances do not guarantee equal opportunities for all people. Rather, it is depriving people with disabilities of the chance to access places and information. Dot’s mission is to empower accessibility in this 4th industrial revolution and reinvent the tools for everyone who lives in cities. In order to achieve this, Dot is able to apply Braille (tactile) modules to various types of accessible facilities each and every smart city’s needs. Also, collaborating with other assistive technologies, we can provide a total solution for physically challenged people all over the world. Ultimately, we aim to provide the barrier-free facilities that enable people with disabilities to access every place and all the information.
We may be a small and humble startup, but we have a phenomenal team. The members possess the knowledge, experience and skills required in their respective fields. Our experienced seniors helm the Hardware, Software and Marketing areas, while the juniors bring the strength, creativity, and the courage to function together at optimal efficiency. We all learn from one another and continue to grow as an amazing team that strives for excellence.
CEO – Eric Ju Yoon Kim / Ki Kwang Sung