Virtual Warsaw will be worth $15 million
Ifinity on behalf of the city of Warsaw is developing the world’s first Beacon-based urban navigation system. It is called Virtual Warsaw and by using the smartphone application with thousands of beacons located around the city will help visually impaired and people who are not familiar with the city to get around in the public spaces.
After the implementation at the Warsaw Office for the Disabled, Ifinity takes the next step in resolving issues with transportation, and cultural locations. The cutting edge micro location technology will make various services more useful. Issues like finding a particular office, bus or a tram, picking a number in a queue or simply walking about national heritages, will be easier with the assistance of the application.The majority of funding comes from the European Union, but $1,25 million has been acquired from the Bloomberg Mayors Challenge where Virtual Warsaw placed as a finalist.
“The transmitter is like a lighthouse. This lighthouse sends the encoded information via Bluetooth or a radio signal. As a result, application on your phone responds to this signal.”- said Adam Jesionkiewicz, CEO of Ifinity.
Virtual Warsaw project was initiated and is realized by Warsaw Municipality. Ifinity Sp. z o.o. was selected as technology provider and mobile app designer for pilot’s phase of the project. As a recognition for city’s attempts to provide beacons based micro-navigation platform for visually impaired people, Warsaw has received a main prize in Mayors Challenge, organised by Bloomberg Philanthropies Foundation. The prize was accepted by Warsaw’s Major - Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.