Thanks to the new data set OS-CONNECT, Washington state pedestrians now have unprecedented access to customized accessible routes. Developed by researchers from the 乱伦社区鈥檚 Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, OS-CONNECT, uses machine learning with human verification to expand AccessMap, a statewide mapping project. OS-CONNECT allows AccessMap to cover pedestrian infrastructure throughout Washington, not just Seattle.
The innovative platform allows users to plan routes based on specific accessibility requirements 鈥� while providing urban planners critical data to identify infrastructure gaps. 鈥淣o state has before used machine learning and human vetting to collect, in a consistent, standardized way, all of the pedestrian infrastructure,鈥� notes TCAT director Anat Caspi, who envisions OS-CONNECT becoming a leading model for expanding accessible navigation nationwide.