Leverkusen, Germany - Brazilian company Andaluz Acessibilidade and Bayer MaterialScience have developed a personal guidance system for floors using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
The system has a surface which allows for "tactile feedback" to help with orientation, BMS said in a 4 Oct announcement. The two companies want to make it easier for the visually impaired to find their way around buildings, in front of escalators, on railway platforms and next to road crossings.
The system involves sticking signs or tiles to the floor, which can be felt by people as they walk over them even though they are only a few millimetres high. The tactile elements are made from Desmopan DP 3059D, a TPU from Bayer MaterialScience.
The elements are available with different surface structures, shapes and colours, making them suitable for the visually impaired and those without visual impairments.
Andaluz Acessibilidade of Sao Paulo, Brazil, develops technologies and solutions for accessibility products such as tactile maps and displays.
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