Possibility of Crowdsourcing-based Method for Surveying the Flatness of Pedestrian Spaces

Abstract. A detailed investigation of walking spaces is essential for ensuring the safety of mobility-impaired pedestrians because the conditions of walking spaces affect the daily lives. Seoul Metropolitan Government is exploring barrier-free policies and the Seoul universal design guidelines define the structure of pedestrian spaces. However, these guidelines apply to only a few representative pedestrian-friendly areas or public institutions, causing mobility-impaired people to experience restrictions in other areas. This study propose possibility to investigate condition of pedestrian space using smartphones and strollers with a crowdsourcing model. A smartphone was attached to the cup holder of a stroller to acquire data during its drive through a residential complex. While the stroller was driving, acceleration, rotation, location, and photo data were obtained using a free app installed on a smartphone. As a result of experiment, the acquired data showed different variations in linear acceleration depending on the roughness of the surface. When there was a slope, there was a change in the vertical angular. Therefore, possibility was determined to investigate the flatness of the walking space using a smart device and a four-wheeled vehicle. Additionally, a crowdsourcing model was proposed to survey the entire city in a short period of time. This model includes providing highly feasible rewards to increase citizen participation in surveys.