Transformando a mobilidade urbana: o potencial das novas tecnologia de modelagem e simulação para inclusão de pessoas com deficiência visual

Abstract

Urban mobility is essential for the quality of life in cities, impacting people's daily lives. However, the growth in demand for transportation requires the transformation of urban transportation modes. Emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the metaverse, have the potential to positively influence urban mobility in several aspects, such as urban simulation and planning, decentralization and teleworking, and augmented reality and smart navigation. Despite the potential positive impact, it is necessary to deepen studies on the use of these technologies in urban mobility, with special attention to accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities (PwDs). The metaverse can offer new ways to provide a realistic experience for urban mobility, with a focus on inclusion and accessibility, especially for the visually impaired. The present work has the general objective of analyzing how the metaverse can contribute to urban mobility when it comes to the movement of people with visual impairments. To this end, research was carried out in the urban environment with the application of the Urban Mobility Simulator (SUMO) with the metaverse to analyze how it can contribute to decision-making in urban system projects. The analyses indicated that improving urban mobility is essential to improving city life and influencing people’s daily lives. Emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and the metaverse have the potential to positively impact urban mobility, including urban simulation and planning, remote commuting and smart navigation. However, it is necessary to prioritize research on accessibility and inclusion for people with visual impairments, aiming to ensure equity in access and participation in urban activities.