Access Ally

"Access Ally" stands at the intersection of advanced data pipelines and 3D accessibility, revolutionizing walking route generation. By harnessing OpenStreetMap tags and a scalable Digital Elevation Model, it crafts personalized walking paths based on intricate user criteria. We have a front end developed with Next.JS, which helps highlight to the user paths using maps.

Technical Highlights:

• Sophisticated Data Pipelines: Efficiently processes large geographical datasets to derive accurate and tailored walking paths, optimizing for speed and precision. Our algorithm for using data is scalable and fast.
• 3D Accessibility Insights: By leveraging Digital Elevation Models, the tool offers a three-dimensional perspective on route accessibility. It aids in understanding route elevation and slope gradients, ensuring the paths are truly accessible for all users.
• Reverse Geocoding with Nominatim: Translates coordinates into human-readable location details.
• OpenStreetMap Integration: Serves as the foundational layer, embedding the routes in a rich geographical context.
• Interactive Visualization with Folium: The tool presents generated routes on an interactive map, providing a dynamic user experience.
• GeoJSON Storage: Routes and their metadata are stored efficiently in GeoJSON format, ensuring wide compatibility and easy integration with other systems.
• Scalability with RouteSet: "Access Ally" is equipped to generate multiple routes concurrently, attesting to its robustness and scalability.
• A backend component to take user text and retrieve custom tags from a large language model on Google Cloud
• Learning to use Next.JS and building our first interactive frontend as a team, with very little collective experience

Usage:

After providing a start point, desired distance, and number of routes, "Access Alley" activates its advanced data pipeline, sifting through vast geographical data sets. The result? Personalized, 3D-informed walking paths displayed on an interactive map, and saved in a widely-adopted format for diverse applications.

Potential Impact:

"Access Alley" champions inclusivity in outdoor navigation. Its emphasis on 3D accessibility ensures everyone, regardless of their mobility capabilities, can confidently embark on journeys tailored to their needs.

Code Architecture:

A modular codebase, with classes 'Route' and 'RouteSet' at its core, ensures maintainability and ease of expansion. Integration with renowned libraries such as folium, geopandas, and contextily amplifies its capabilities. We use Next.JS to create an interactive and user friendly frontend.

Future Endeavors:

Expanding on its current offerings, future versions could integrate real-time traffic data, crowd-sourced route feedback, and wider geographical scope to enhance route accuracy and variety. We could also expand the UI to include data visualisations and satellite imagery to help users make more informed decisions.

Gratitude:

Our team extends its appreciation to the open-source community. Their tools and libraries have been instrumental in bringing "Access Alley" to fruition.

Built With

• css3
• flask
• folium
• geocodefarm
• html5
• javascript
• next.js
• openstreetmap
• osrm
• python
• tailwind