See Me app: Lessons learnt from building and using
The research project See Me: Transforming passenger experience on public transport undertaken by SAGE Automation to develop the transport solution application See Me to aid blind and vision-impaired travellers on public transport, has now been completed. The final report for the project is available for download below.
Objectives
The objective was to develop a scalable and robust app to address some of the challenges and travel barriers faced by the vision impaired community when undertaking routine transport practices like catching buses. The holistic focus of the See Me app was to empower blind and vision impaired individuals to confidently navigate public transit systems.
App development
Previous milestone deliverables formed the path forward for the See Me app providing information from development, testing and stakeholder reports, critical evaluation of this data was undertaken to inform best practice outcomes.
The researchers evaluated the readiness of the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and GTFS-RT (real time) feeds across Australian jurisdictions with three key assessment areas:
- GTFS validation – to address structural integrity and data quality
- Open Trip Planner (OTP) testing – to simulate real world trip planning
- Real-Time Update Rate Analysis – to measure update frequency and latency
From their work, researchers were able to establish that real-time data quality and hardware limitations varied significantly across jurisdictions and addressing those gaps would be critical for See Me’s data reliability.
Researchers also examined whether the app was more effective as a standalone app or integrated with existing transport app technologies. This was done by:
- Undertaking a technical audit of apps – assessed on 12 criteria
- User survey results on existing travel apps – to gain insight into preferred features and common issues
- PTA stakeholder preferences when it came to standalone vs integrated app use
From this work, researchers concluded that a hybrid approach, maintaining a standalone app while enabling integration via open data would be the best path forward.
Stakeholder liaison
Public transport authorities
The report covers engagement with a variety of Public Transport Authorities in South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland.
Disability user groups
To test and refine the See Me app, researchers needed feedback from users to ensure the app met real world and accessibility needs. Vision impaired user groups provided invaluable feedback in real life scenarios, for example:
A disability organisation provided positive feedback on the vibration alerts and text to speech (TTS) functionality, while also identifying issues with user interface clarity and the potential for accidental trip cancellations. A transport operator similarly noted the simplicity of the interface as a key strength but reported challenges with GPS accuracy, delayed notifications, and inconsistencies in screen reader behaviour.
The feedback loop between users and developers validated the core functionality of See Me and allowed researchers to identify areas for improvement.
Researchers systematically tested the integration of shared e-mobility with public transport using a phased intervention design. The study was undertaken over an 8-month period at Brisbane’s Albion Train Station, a busy inner-northern station with a Park ‘n’ Ride facility as a case study location.
A mixed method approach was employed which combined observed travel behaviour through shared e-mobility data plus primary data collection via passenger intercept surveys of travellers on site.
The experimental design was implemented sequentially across three distinct phases, each lasting two weeks.
- The first phase assessed existing transport patterns where there was no provision of e-mobility parking infrastructure and using existing e-mobility price schemes
- The second phase evaluated transport user behaviour changes following the provision of dedicated e-mobility parking infrastructure (permanent e-parking hubs plus access to shared e-mobility devices) with existing pricing schemes.
- The third phase provided analysis of behaviour patterns with dedicated e-mobility parking and shared access coupled with reduced e-mobility pricing.
The study used two complementary data sources to examine the role of shared e-mobility in addressing first and last mile connectivity.
- The first dataset comprised GPS based shared e-mobility trip records which captured information on: timing, location, distance and e-scooter and e-bike trip across study phases.
- The second data set consisted of intercept survey responses, collected from passengers at the station. The survey responses provided insight into people’s travel behaviour and willingness to use shared e-mobility modes giving insight into user motivations and perceived barriers to use.
Current state of the app
The See Me app functions on both Android and Apple devices and provides a user interface for travellers in order to request drop off and pick up for a specific trip.
Technical capabilities of the app include a GTFS feed display showing route schedule information, and further, where vehicles are equipped with the right hardware utilises GTFS real-time data to provide passengers information like delays.
In the back end, the app notifies bus systems that a request has been made and triggers communication alerts between both the user and driver when the bus is arriving at requested stops.
Functionally, the app leverages smart technology that integrates with bus hardware and systems, with key features including:
- Digital hailing
- Remote Stop requests
- Real-time notifications
- Boarding assistance requests
- Integration with bus systems
Trials and expansions
Pilot programs on selected public transport routes were conducted to validate functionality and gather feedback from users. The researchers used different configurations of onboard hardware and integration methods for the trials with the results providing valuable insight into both operational challenges and user needs.
Lessons learnt
In their quest to create a tool that will benefit vision-impaired transit users, researchers established critical key learnings related to system architecture, hardware strategy and app maintenance to ensure a viable and diverse transport solution.
The cost of fitting buses with necessary equipment coupled with bus operators not employing a unified approach to onboard technology is a challenge. Similarly challenging is the potential variance in route ids (that may not be static) for the duration of the physical routes. The researchers note that the See Me solution must be capable of interfacing with a variety of hardware and software.
From their work, the researchers posit a dual notification method to provide drivers with audible alert notifications, supplemented by visual cues as best practice. This gives passenger users confidence that the driver has received and acknowledged their request.
The researchers also note that in native apps on mobile devices require maintenance to deliver a quality product, which may include ongoing licence costs for iOS to keep the app available.
Future roadmap
The future roadmap provides a strategic vision for continued development of the See Me app which includes amongst other initiatives:
- Establishing See Me as trusted, recognisable brand in public transport accessibility and inclusivity
- Fine tuning the app and associated hardware to improve functionality and interactivity
- Expanding functionality to include trams and trains, and seeking international validation by testing the platform overseas
- Identifying and establishing new revenue streams and forming long-term partnerships in the transport eco-system
Expected project impacts
See Me was created to remove uncertainty and give people with low vision more confidence when catching public transport. The outcomes we’ve seen in trials go far beyond convenience, with the app helping people to feel more confident and safe when catching public transport.
For users it means fewer moments of anxiety, fewer missed buses, and more independence for anyone who finds public transport challenging. I’m hopeful that this work contributes to long term improvements in accessibility, across the entire public transport network.
Cassie Hames, See Me app creator
Download the report
Download your copy of the final report, See Me: Transforming user experience on public transport for everyone, by clicking the button below.
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