Inclusive Capsule

Entering ADS-DV to Secure Passengers

My team 

Orange team: Jiayu Kang, Ting Kang, Faezeh Tabatabaeimanesh, Hao Lu, ZhiRu Chen, Pun To Yung, Jurgan Babirad, Peyton Sefick, Connor McGough & me

This project is an entry for the Inclusive Design Challenge and was completed by the Orange team. Team Orange consists mainly of a group of Syracuse University Master students majoring in design that Professor Don Carr leads and three bio-engineering students under Professor Pun To Yung's direction. This team also includes three experts in the disability field, Jurgan Babirad, Connor McGough, and Peyton Sefick.

Goal 

Inclusive Design 

Designing solutions to enable people with disabilities to use automated vehicles. An inclusive design challenge was held by the department of transportation.

Our design aims to meet the needs of electric wheelchair users and manual wheelchair users at the same time to solve their travel needs effectively. As a user-centered design strategy, we began by focusing on the needs of a 12-year old boy and his family-based here in Syracuse, New York. They have a daughter with full mobility and a son ‘Leo’ with cerebral palsy. Leo is a power wheelchair user, and the strength and coordination of his upper extremities are limited. Besides, he communicates through a touchscreen-based interface called LAMP Words that runs on a smart pad mounted to his wheelchair (see Figure 1). The family currently owns a modified minivan with a ramp that deploys from the side doorway, allowing Leo to back his wheelchair into the vehicle and ride facing a ‘side-facing’ orientation.

Figure 1 Estimated Assessment of Leo's body abilities

Step 1

Day-in-the-life Storyboard

To understand how our integrated design solution functions, we created a storyboard that depicts Leo and his family taking a local supermarket trip (see Figure 2).

Figure 2 Day-in-the-life Storyboard

Step 2

An accessible tablet interface

Our team's solution includes entering the vehicle directly and entering the vehicle, interacting with the vehicle, and leaving the vehicle. We accomplish this by focusing on designing an accessible tablet interface that communicates with various vehicle interaction points (see Figure 3).

Leo is curious and has a keen interest in semi-autonomous vehicles. In the conversation with him, we learned that although his family pays great attention to his needs, sometimes these needs may be ignored. Therefore, enhancing Leo's experience with the whole family is our main consideration in this link. And we have another idea， if the design is to become the industry standard for all modes of transportation, Leo can use his tablet to access similar functions when traveling by bus, train, or even by plane.

On the other hand, we learned about alternative applications that Leo currently uses. Colors, icons, and exercise plans are key to providing an effective communication system for individuals with flexibility and visual impairments.

Figure 3 An accessible tablet interface

Step 3  

Omnidirectional floor anchoring and seating system

I view the portal by watching Leo enter the vehicle which is then positioned for travel as key to our design solution. This should accommodate a broad range of mobile devices and, in doing so, result in a new industry standard. I refer to this anchoring and positioning device as a Landing Pad, and the design challenge will be to secure and position the broadest range of wheelchairs possible successfully. As a track-based system, it will accommodate multiple wheelchair users at the same time (see Figure 4).

Figure 4 Omnidirectional floor anchoring and seating system

By operating the user interface located on the wheelchair, the vehicle’s door automatically opens and a ramp is deployed for access. The wheelchair can detect its path through the green navigation lights that are displayed on the floor, and use the docking system to easily fix the wheelchair to the base. At the center of the vehicle, we devised a circular device called a Landing Pad. This idea is taken from the design executive office chair, which rises from the floor once the wheelchair has accessed the vehicle down the ramp.

As soon as the user selects their desired position on the system interface, the existing seat retracts and folds, allowing the wheelchair to occupy that position. Afterward, the landing pad helps the wheelchair move to the designated seating position via the track on the floor. There is a panel next to each seat that accommodates VR glasses, a plug for charging electronic devices, and a personal display. Since the wheelchair is positioned slightly forward, the panels can be moved for the wheelchair user's convenience. The above description applies to use by only one wheelchair user. By extending the interior footprint, it can accommodate up to four wheelchair users.

Step 4 

The VR/AR system with the expanded design of the mobile hub

To establish a stronger connection between Leo, the basic interface, and the surrounding environment. The VR system includes hands-free navigation and an immersive entertainment experience that allows driverless driving. In a virtual environment, it can also provide personal space requirements. We believe that this system can proactively avoid traffic delays and avoid re-routing in a roadside emergency during the journey.

The VR glasses with the VR system allow users to remotely participate in a 360-degree virtual meeting with multiple people, play virtual reality games together, watch movies and enjoy an extended sense of personal space (see Figure 5). By combining eye-tracking and gesture recognition, onboard VR addresses user needs and integrates inclusive interface technology. Whether using either eye-tracking, gesture recognition, or the two in combination, it all depends on user ability and user preference.

Figure 5 Virtual experience function

The motion about this project can be viewed here