Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Access and Mobility for All Summit

Innovation Showcase

As part of the Access and Mobility for All Summit, the U.S. Department of Transportation will host an Innovation Showcase to provide Summit participants an opportunity to interact with the latest innovations in research, technologies, and devices that can facilitate a “Complete Trip”. The Showcase will be open from 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm (EDT) on October 29. The West Atrium will feature primarily digital exhibits, while the outside space between the East and West Buildings will feature accessible vehicles.

Outdoor Exhibitors

NMEDA is a non-profit trade association dedicated to expanding opportunities for people with disabilities to safely drive or be transported in vehicles modified with mobility equipment to fit their specific needs. NMEDA members will be exhibiting multiple accessible vehicles and providing demonstrations of the various automotive mobility equipment solutions available today.

Q’STRAINT is a provider of wheelchair securement systems. Innovation Showcase participants will be able to view and see demonstrations of Q’STRAINT’s QUANTUM device. The QUANTUM automatic rear-facing securement station is redefining transit safety by combining securement expertise, intelligent technology, and the latest in modern design.

Robotic Research is a robotics engineering firm that designs, develops, and tests state-of-the-art autonomous mobility software and hardware. As part of the Innovation Showcase, Robotic Research will be demonstrating the Paralift wheelchair lift. Paralift is a driver-assist autonomous loading and securement system, to provide individuals with reduced mobility with independent access to their vehicle. The capabilities of this automated wheelchair include voice commands, auto mobility and an automated lift.

Indoor Exhibitors

ACL serves as the Federal agency responsible for serving older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers across the lifespan and partners with other Federal agencies to increase access to community supports that enable people to live full lives in the community. This exhibit will include demonstrations of transportation-related assistive technology devices and apps that enable people to have increased access and mobility in their community.Assistive technology devices that will be demonstrated assist people with accessibility, mobility, hearing, seeing, communicating, transferring, driving, and navigation.

Aira uses smartphone technology or Aira’s Horizon glasses to stream video from a camera to instantly connect people who are blind or have low vision with highly-trained professionals who provide visual information on demand. Aira agents can assist with information about transit services, schedules, signage, and vehicle identification, while also supporting navigation to and from transit stops/stations. The exhibit will include a demonstration of Aira’s services.

Mobility-focused startup pathVu will provide information on its pedestrian navigation and crowdsourcing app. The app is accessibly designed to provide real-time data-driven maps and directions to pedestrians. Users are routed around sidewalk hazards and alerted to obstructions in their path based on their own unique comfortability levels so all pedestrians can travel safely and independently.

Researchers in the Intelligent Coordination and Logistics Laboratory of the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a smartphone app called PedPal that assists mobility impaired pedestrians in crossing signalized intersections. PedPal communicates directly with the intersection to ensure sufficient crossing time is granted, tracks user progress through the intersection, and dynamically extends the crossing time if a problem is detected. The exhibit will include a demonstration of the Pedpal app.

Routematch helps public transit agencies build rider-centric mobility ecosystems centered on inclusivity and accessibility. Routematch will highlight innovative projects and technology that have transformed communities and people’s quality of life.

TRX Systems delivers indoor location software and solutions. At the Innovation Showcase, TRX will feature it's NEON® Smart Wayfinding and Navigation (SWaN) service that delivers the underlying location and routing capabilities required to allow application developers to provide travelers with real-time location and en-route assistance and situational awareness, including within complex urban transport structures.

This information booth will provide information on USDOT’s accessibility research and policy activities across a range of modes and programs.

VetRide provides safe and reliable transportation to all veterans requiring assistance traveling to and from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities and authorized non-VA health care appointments. The platform allows Veterans to register for VetRide services, request a ride, and receive notifications about status of their rides. This exhibit will include a demonstration of VetRide 2.0, which will include new Android and iOS apps for Veterans.

VTTI conducts research to save lives, time, and money and protect the environment and is a member of the Safety through Disruption (Safe-D) University Transportation Center (UTC). Fueled by the inevitable changes in our transportation system, the Safe-D UTC endeavors to maximize the potential safety benefits of disruptive technologies through targeted research that addresses the most pressing transportation safety questions. This exhibit will also include information on a project focused on developing training protocol guidelines that can be used to optimize appropriate safe use of automated driving systems. This was accomplished by developing a taxonomy of the knowledge and skills required to operate commercially available automated driving system. Based on these results, a training program was developed and tested on the VTTI Smart Road, to assess the relative training performance of different approaches. 

WMATA is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA’s exhibit will include information on how WMATA is improving transit station and bus stop accessibility and wayfinding.

Last updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020