About
Lazarillo is an inclusive digital mapping and accessible wayfinding platform designed for both individuals with disabilities and businesses looking to improve the navigability of their physical spaces. The platform offers two primary offerings: a free mobile app that guides users through indoor and outdoor environments with turn-by-turn audio navigation, and a business-facing MapVX platform that lets organizations create custom interactive digital maps. For businesses, Lazarillo delivers customizable maps of indoor and outdoor areas complete with facility directories. These maps can be embedded into company websites, custom mobile apps, or physical kiosk installations. Indoor navigation support is flexible, utilizing Bluetooth beacons, 3D LiDAR scanning, and 5G integration for precise location tracking without GPS. The platform serves a wide range of industries including hotels and resorts, healthcare facilities, shopping centers, smart cities, universities, and airports. A notable deployment was the 'Decked Out Detroit Field Guide' for the 2024 NFL Draft, demonstrating city-scale interactive mapping capability. The Lazarillo mobile app is free to download and specifically designed to serve users with visual impairments and other disabilities, offering accessible audio guidance in an intuitive interface. Businesses subscribe to paid plans to access the full mapping platform, custom map creation, and advanced multi-platform integrations. Lazarillo bridges the gap between physical spaces and digital accessibility, creating safer, more engaging, and more inclusive environments for all visitors.
Key Features
- Accessible Turn-by-Turn Audio Navigation: The free Lazarillo mobile app provides real-time audio guidance for people with visual impairments and other disabilities, both indoors and outdoors.
- Custom Interactive Digital Maps (MapVX): Businesses can create fully customizable, interactive digital maps of their facilities, complete with searchable directories and branded experiences.
- Multi-Platform Map Integration: Completed maps integrate seamlessly with business websites, mobile apps, and physical kiosks, as well as the Lazarillo mobile app itself.
- Flexible Indoor Positioning: Indoor navigation supports multiple hardware options including Bluetooth beacons, 3D LiDAR scanning, and 5G integration for accurate location tracking without GPS.
- Multi-Sector Use Case Coverage: Purpose-built solutions for hotels, healthcare facilities, shopping centers, smart cities, universities, and airports with industry-specific features.
Use Cases
- Helping visually impaired shoppers navigate a large shopping center with audio-guided turn-by-turn directions to specific stores and amenities
- Enabling hospital patients and visitors to find departments, wards, and services independently using accessible indoor wayfinding on their smartphones
- Providing hotel guests with an interactive digital map of resort facilities, restaurants, and amenities embedded directly in the hotel's mobile app
- Supporting smart city initiatives by creating accessible public navigation maps for transit hubs, parks, and cultural centers that guide residents and tourists
- Helping university students and visitors with disabilities navigate large multi-building campuses with step-by-step indoor and outdoor guidance
Pros
- Accessibility-First Design: Built from the ground up for people with disabilities, making it one of the few navigation tools that genuinely prioritizes inclusive user experiences.
- Versatile Integration Options: Maps can be deployed across websites, mobile apps, kiosks, and the Lazarillo app, giving businesses maximum flexibility in how they deliver the experience.
- Free Consumer App: The mobile app is free to download, lowering the barrier for individuals with disabilities to benefit from accessible navigation immediately.
- Proven at Scale: Demonstrated capability for large-scale deployments such as the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, validating its readiness for high-traffic environments.
Cons
- Opaque Business Pricing: Pricing for business and enterprise plans is not publicly listed, requiring direct contact with the sales team before commitment.
- Hardware Dependency for Indoor Navigation: Precise indoor positioning requires physical infrastructure (Bluetooth beacons or LiDAR), which may involve additional setup costs and logistics.
- Primarily Targets Larger Organizations: The platform's feature set and likely cost structure are best suited for mid-to-large businesses, making it less accessible for small businesses or individual creators.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lazarillo?
Lazarillo is an inclusive navigation and digital mapping platform. It offers a free mobile app for individuals — especially those with visual impairments — as well as a business platform (MapVX) that lets organizations create custom interactive maps of their physical spaces.
Is the Lazarillo app free to use?
Yes, the Lazarillo mobile app is free to download and use. Business plans for creating custom digital maps and accessing advanced integrations are available on a subscription basis.
How does indoor navigation work without GPS?
Lazarillo supports several indoor positioning technologies including Bluetooth beacons, 3D LiDAR scanning, and 5G integration, enabling accurate room-level navigation inside buildings where traditional GPS does not function reliably.
What types of businesses can use Lazarillo?
Lazarillo serves a broad range of industries including hotels and resorts, healthcare facilities, shopping centers, universities, airports, and smart cities. Any organization with a physical space that visitors navigate can benefit from the platform.
Can Lazarillo maps be embedded into our existing website or app?
Yes. Lazarillo maps built on the MapVX platform can be integrated into your existing website, custom mobile app, or physical digital kiosks, in addition to being accessible through the Lazarillo mobile app.
