ModuLeiT: Smart RFID technology for greater accessibility in buildings
21.02.2025smart-TEC is contributing its expertise in the field of RFID technology to the ModuLeiT research project, which is being led by the TFI - Institute for Floor and Room Systems at RWTH Aachen University. The aim of the project is to develop an innovative guidance system for visually impaired people that combines tactile floor indicators with a digital navigation solution.
RFID transponders for intuitive navigation
In the course of the project, RFID transponders from smart-TEC were integrated into textile floor coverings. These enable precise navigation indoors by transmitting information to a specially developed electronic cane for the blind and an accessible navigation app.
The smart-CARD developed by smart-TEC embeds RFID/NFC technology in a plastic composite. The ModuLeiT project uses an individually developed version with a size of 100 mm x 100 mm, which contains three different RFID/NFC chips and therefore enables highly reliable detection of the floor indicators.
Digital linking for barrier-free orientation
The system's navigation app uses digital building models based on Building Information Modeling (BIM) to provide users with precise route information in real time. This can be provided both audibly and visually via mobile devices. The RFID-supported solution allows visually impaired people to move safely and independently in complex buildings such as public authorities, museums, universities or shopping centers.
An important contribution to inclusion
The ModuLeiT project shows how analog and digital technologies can be successfully combined to improve accessibility in public spaces. In addition to promoting inclusion, manufacturers of textile floor coverings and providers of RFID systems also benefit from the guidelines and technologies developed.
The research project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and the Industrial Collective Research (IGF)
