Medellín Develops Two Artificial Intelligence Platforms to Improve Travel for People with Reduced Mobility

Both developments are part of Mobility for All, an initiative that promotes innovative solutions to address accessible mobility challenges.

The Medellín Mayor’s Office is advancing collaborative initiatives to promote a city that leverages technology and innovation to create inclusive spaces and experiences that make access and mobility easier for people with disabilities. Through the Mobility for All program, led by Ruta N and the Toyota Mobility Foundation, two artificial intelligence-based technology platforms are currently under development, opening up new possibilities for this population.

MOBI, developed by EAFIT University, and Solyon Move, created by Solyon Technologies, provide information on real-time travel conditions and existing accessibility barriers, enabling wheelchair users to plan their journeys with greater independence.

"Innovation has a real impact when it responds to people's needs and helps build a city for everyone. That is why, at Ruta N, we promote solutions that use technology to improve people's quality of life. Through initiatives like these, we continue strengthening an innovation ecosystem that puts people at the center while reinforcing Medellín as a Science, Technology, and Innovation District that develops solutions with economic and social impact," said Ruta N Executive Director Carolina Londoño.

Both solutions were designed to reduce the uncertainty that people with reduced mobility face before beginning a trip. Medellín is home to more than 70,000 people with disabilities affecting their mobility. According to Colombia's Registry for the Identification and Characterization of Persons with Disabilities, approximately 20% are working-age adults and nearly 25% are older adults.

MOBI integrates public transportation data—including service frequencies, bus locations, and the availability of accessible vehicles—to facilitate trip planning and real-time journey monitoring. Meanwhile, Solyon Move combines information about environmental conditions with advanced trip-planning tools, alerts, and community-generated reports of accessibility barriers. To reach this stage, the project implemented a community-based support model that enabled the solution to be tested and validated with 150 participants from the Manrique and Aranjuez districts.

"The mobile application allows users to plan their routes, report incidents on roads or involving buses, navigate using the suggested route, and, from the administrative side, enables us to monitor in real time all incident reports submitted by users as well as the route histories they create," explained Sebastián Hoyos, Development Lead for Solyon Move.

Mobility for All supports five projects through a fund of nearly COP 1 billion aimed at developing solutions to address real accessibility challenges in Medellín. In addition to MOBI and Solyon Move, the program also supports Brazo Amigo, a device that improves wheelchair propulsion; Más Urbano, a platform that identifies routes with fewer accessibility barriers; and a lifting platform developed by the El Comité Foundation, which enables people with reduced mobility to access public transportation safely and independently from bus stops.

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