The story of this project begins many miles from Warsaw – in Barcelona. It was in the Catalan capital that Bartosz Wiktorzak – then a student, and today a graduate of the Warsaw University of Technology and the academic manager of the project – found out how problematic it is to look for elevators at metro stations and how much such searches can disrupt sightseeing plans. That trip he took with a friend in a wheelchair set off an avalanche of events, the finale of which is the release of the Gdzie To Metro [Where’s that metro] app (formerly known as LIFT) in the Android and iOS stores in October 2024.

Gdzie To Metro – and everything’s clear

The application is universal, available in two language versions: Polish and English. It has been prepared so that it can be used by both people with disabilities and those who simply do not know which exit from the metro is the easiest way to reach their destination. It will certainly be useful for people with children (especially in buggies), those carrying heavy luggage, and tourists. In the app, you can check the diagram of each metro station and surrounding train or coach stations, for example the underground labyrinths under Warsaw’s Central Railway Station. There is also an option that makes the app indicate which the best carriage to get on to would be after determining the route between metro stations. Gdzie To Metro will also guide you through the station itself – from the platform to your selected destination – and it will also choose the best exit.

How can students use this app?

“You’re meeting your friends at a metro station. Instead of thinking about the directions of the world, you have every exit marked in the app, so all you have to do is enter the number and everyone will know where to go,” describes Mikołaj Domagalski.

What about wheelchair users? It’s a great help.

“If a person is using a particular route for the first time, the application will accurately determine their path, including elevators,” explains Gabriela Szewczuk. “Choosing optimal exits can shorten the distance to be covered by up to 500 metres! Unfortunately, there are traps waiting for wheelchairs users all the time and even if the route is familiar, it may turn out that a failure of an elevator will not allow them to leave the station. In such a situation, Gdzie To Metro will notify its users in advance and suggest an alternative.”

A parent with a child, even a parent who often uses the metro, sometimes faces the challenge of how to find an elevator. 

“The application will provide the necessary information, save a parent’s time and increase their sense of security,” says Jerzy Jastrzębiec Jankowski. 

More is to come

Although the developers have launched the app, they’ve not done with their work and plan to improve their project all the time. And the more users there are, the more material for analysis there is – so every download and every comment will be very useful for the team. 

The Gdzie To Metro developers are also looking for inspiration. In October, they visited the IPIN2024 conference on indoor navigation and positioning in Hong Kong, where they presented the results of their research.

"We learned about trends and innovations from around the world and discovered the secrets of the Hong Kong metro, where some of the stations have several dozen exits connected to other stations, shopping malls and office buildings,” says Bartosz Wiktorzak. 

You can find more information about the app on the gdzietometro.pl website and also on social media: Facebook and Instagram.

The application was developed by a team associated with the “Smart City” Interfaculty Scientific Club. It was financed through the Rzeczy są dla ludzi [Things are for people] competition of the National Centre for Research and Development.