- Suggests the best route for each mode of transport, such as "stroller," "baby carriage" or "walking together."
- You can see at a glance where you can change nappies and breastfeed your baby on your route and where you are going!
- It's also packed with useful information, such as a "Lost and Found" checklist and "Recommended Places to Go"!
NAVITIME for Baby, introduced here, is a web service for childcare users. The service provides information on the best routes according to the means of transport, such as prams, baby carriers and walking together. The service won the grand prize in the BabyTech® Award Japan 2021 Feeding and Eating category. The BabyTech.jp editorial team interviewed Wataru Sato (hereafter, titles omitted) of NAVITIME Japan Corporation, the developer of NAVITIME for Baby, to find out more about the service, how it was developed and what the future holds.
We spoke with...
Navitime Japan Corporation
Manager, Media Division
Wataru Sato
A web service that offers total support for "travelling with children!"
Editor: Thank you very much for your time today. Could you start by giving us an overview of 'NAVITIME for Baby' and its features?
Sato: NAVITIME for Baby is a web service that supports people travelling with children. Some of the challenges when travelling with children include, for example, having to pass through stairs on the way when using a pram, and the uncertainty of where to put the stroller when you bring it into the train.
Editor: I know exactly what you mean, as my family outings are always in a pushchair!
Sato: There are also concerns not only during the journey, but also before and after the journey. Before the move, you may have to worry about forgetting something. And after the move, i.e. at the destination, there may be issues such as not being able to find a place to change diapers or feed the baby .......
NAVITIME Japan's corporate philosophy is to "use navigation technology to support safe and secure travel and create more profitable time". Based on this corporate philosophy, NAVITIME for Baby was developed with the aim of contributing to solving various problems when travelling with children.
Sato: The first feature of this service is that it provides total support for travelling with children. In addition to route guidance during the journey, the service also provides a 'checklist' to prevent forgetting things before the journey and 'articles to help you find your way around', as well as a 'map display of places to change diapers and breastfeed' after the journey.
The next feature is that NAVITIME for Baby automatically suggests the best route based on the child's age and mode of transport: you can choose from three patterns of route search conditions: stroller, baby carriage or walking together, for example, if you choose a stroller. For example, if you choose a stroller, the system automatically sets your walking speed to 'walk very slowly' and suggests a route using an elevator instead of stairs. The consideration of walking speed and route search prioritising lifts and escalators were originally provided for many years in our main service, NAVITIME. We have utilised this technology to provide this service as a dedicated function for people with children.
