The world's first personal navigation app for a children's hospital is live. And it's only the beginning.

On 11 February 2026, Waymap went live at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) in Edinburgh — making it the first children's hospital in the world to offer personal, step-by-step indoor navigation to its patients and families.

This isn't just a milestone for us. It's a milestone for healthcare.

The Problem Was Hiding in Plain Sight

Edinburgh Sick Kids is a stunning, modern facility. But stunning and easy-to-navigate aren't the same thing. An internal survey of 100 families found that 40% needed help finding their way around — and the knock-on effect was significant. Doctors and nurses were spending precious time giving directions instead of doing what they trained to do.

Dr Olivia Swann, Paediatric Infectious Disease Consultant at NHS Lothian, put it plainly: "It wasn't great for families when they were arriving at a time where it's stressful and they're anxious."

That's the reality of hospital navigation. It's not a minor inconvenience — it's a compounding stressor at one of the most difficult moments in a family's life.

Why Waymap? Why Now?

When Dr Swann went looking for a solution, most navigation tools fell at the first hurdle: they required WiFi, GPS, or a cell signal. The hospital, like many large buildings, is essentially a signal black hole.

Waymap works differently. Our technology uses inertial measurement sensors already built into smartphones, combined with AI algorithms that calculate step length and direction. No connectivity required. No special hardware. Just turn-by-turn, step-by-step audio and on-screen guidance — from the front door to the right ward.

But it wasn't just the technology that stood out. Dr Swann specifically highlighted that accessibility isn't an afterthought for us: "It's not tacked on later." Waymap was built from day one for users with visual impairments, and that foundational commitment to inclusion made it the right fit for a hospital environment where patients of all abilities arrive every single day.

From Vision to Reality: How It Happened

The partnership came together through Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity (ECHC), whose CEO Roslyn Neely immediately saw the potential. "It felt strange that I can go online and look at the inside of a restaurant that I might go to tonight for dinner, but I wouldn't be able to see where I was going to take my child for an X-ray," she said.

ECHC provided the funding. Waymap helped make it as affordable as possible. And NHS Lothian's senior leadership backed it quickly — because the value was obvious.

To build the navigation experience, our team created a full 3D digital twin of the hospital using laser scanning technology, mapping every corridor, ward, and entrance with precision.

What's Next: Bigger, Better, More Accessible

Going live was the start, not the finish line. Here's what's coming:

QR codes on appointment letters. Families will be able to download the app before they even leave home, arriving prepared rather than panicked.

10-language support. The hospital serves a richly diverse community. We're expanding beyond the current three languages to include Polish, Arabic, Ukrainian, Cantonese, Mandarin, Urdu, Romanian, Spanish, and Bengali — because getting lost shouldn't depend on what language you speak.

An SDK for existing hospital apps. We know app fatigue is real. That's why in approximately six weeks we're launching a software development kit that lets healthcare providers plug Waymap's navigation directly into their own apps — no separate download required.

Global expansion. We're already in active discussions with healthcare providers in North America and Singapore. What started in Edinburgh is becoming a blueprint for hospitals worldwide.

Why Healthcare, Why Now

We've helped people navigate train stations, sports stadiums, and shopping centres across nearly a dozen cities including London and Washington, DC. But hospitals present a unique challenge — and a unique opportunity.

As our CEO Celso Zuccollo puts it: "Compared to a train station or sports stadium, people are in a very different frame of mind when they enter a hospital." That's exactly why the technology matters most here.

When a family arrives at night, no one at reception, unfamiliar with the signs named after Scottish castles, not fluent in English — Waymap is there. Calm, clear, step-by-step. One less thing to be afraid of.

That's what we're building. And we're just getting started.

Waymap is the world's leading indoor navigation platform built for accessibility. Already deployed in transit systems, stadiums, and retail environments, Waymap is now expanding into healthcare — helping patients, families, and staff navigate with confidence.

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