The Xacobeo 2010 blog has an interesting article on the “Satellite Camino” (Camino de los Satélites”) which will be a great help, not only to those pilgrims who like new technology (like GPS) but will also help people with disabilities and elderly people to follow the
Camino de Santiago.
The GPS is the fundamental tool used in this project. One particular model will be used, the Kapten, that works with voice control and it also permits the pilgrim to listen to music, radio and find useful information on the camino. Deaf pilgrims will be using a GPS with on-screen indication of were the Camino continues. Using GPRS technology of their mobile phones their exact location is transmitted back to the server and it keeps track of their exact location.
The first 20 pilgrims left Roncesvalles on October 2nd and reached Santiago about 30 days later.The whole experience with the first group was documented in a documentary, and was broadcasted online vía TVip with daily summaries and live shoots. The singer and athlete Serafín Zubiri who is visually impaired participated on this camino with the rest of the group. Sefafín has cycled the camino several time, but this was the first time he walked it. For this project he composed a song called “Una línea en el cielo” (a line in the sky) that was performed at this event
The website will be up and working in January. The site will have some static content about the
Camino de Santiago, its history, one part about this project “The Satellite Caminos” and some guides and advice. As things move along there will also be downloadable audio guides. The dynamic content on the site will be the various blogs. The site will also make it possible for its users to include their comments, and link to their Twitter, Facebook and other social network profiles.
Another technology that will be added to this project is e-Milladoiros. These are small beacons that will complement the traditional yellow arrows with RFID technology and bi-dimensional QR and/or DataMatrix. In addition there will be accessible guides, audio guides with 212 tracks including the most relevant places along the Camino like albergues and monuments. This will be available in Castilian, Galician and French.