Microcontrollers allow people with disabilities to enjoy their visits to museums

In order to make the experience of visiting a museum for people with disabilities inclusive and immersive, students from the Universidad Iberoamericana developed comprehensive projects with Arduino (microcontroller), virtual reality and sound engineering technologies that adapt to cultural venues.

The work was carried out by Angélica Martínez de la Peña, among other teachers, who directed students in the fifth semester of the sensory design and creative direction degree. They developed two resources to design urban and architectural spaces that allow people to identify multimodal and inclusive places and routes for museums, called wayshowing y wayfinding.

In a statement, Ibero highlighted the use of signage with a chromatic palette, relief, braille and pictograms designed from typography; multimodal maps, with textures, braille, macrotype, tactile guidance, lights and audio descriptions. Includes a mobile application designed as accessible accompaniment, which has tours, audio guides, teaching materials for children and people with autism, as well as maps You are here. It allows you to plan a tour of each room and each section of the museum, observe how many people there may be depending on the day and time, and organize visits for those with disabilities.

In order for those with visual problems to explore space through touch, the students made three-dimensional model kits. Those who use a wheelchair, through virtual reality, will be able to visit the museum with established tours.

In Mexico, there are more than 6 million people with some type of disability, 4.9 percent of the country’s total population.