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Inclusive Design Challenge Competitors

The competitors listed below participated in Stage II of the Inclusive Design Challenge. They were selected from 50 submissions received in Stage I. These researchers and innovators have proposed hardware and software solutions addressing a wide range of physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities, all aimed at integrating with Automated Driving System-Dedicated Vehicles (ADS-DVs). The listing below provides a summary of each finalist’s proposal, along with their contact information

Stage II Finalist Awardees

Stage I Semifinalist Awardees

EASI Rider

Purdue University
Efficient, Accessible and Safe Interaction in a Real Integrated Design Environment for Riders with disabilities (EASI RIDER)

First Prize – $1,000,000

The team developed a life-sized, operational demonstration platform known as the Efficient, Accessible and Safe Interaction in a Real Integrated Design Environment for Riders with disabilities (EASI RIDER). The vehicle contained an in-floor ADS-DV ramp design, an automatically deploying “Smart Ramp,” an automated wheelchair securement system, and an on-board user-interface that will provide accessibility features that cater to people with a wide range of disabilities.

Video Link: Purdue University

Project Contact: Bradley Duerstock
Project Website: https://engineering.purdue.edu/DuerstockIAS/research/EASIRIDER 

AbleLink Smart Living Technologies logo

AbleLink Smart Living Technologies
WayFinder ADS – Enabling Independent Use of Autonomous Vehicles by Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities and others with Special Needs

Second Prize – $700,000

The research team laid the foundation for accessibility by developing the WayFinder ADS system, a comprehensive mobile application designed to support independent access to ADS-DVs by individuals with cognitive disabilities and others with special needs. A WayFinder ADS Dashboard was developed to allow caregivers to set up secure connections to companies providing reservation access to ADS-DVs. The module provides the opportunity to set pre-determined destinations for the user. The overall goal is to provide cognitively accessible interfaces and app navigation features, and to reduce the overall cognitive load associated with interacting with an ADS-DV.

Video Link: AbleLink Smart Living Technologies

Project Contact: Dan Davies
Project Website: https://www.ablelinktech.com

Autonomous Vehicle Research Group logo

University of Maine
Autonomous Vehicle Assistant (Ava): Ride-hailing and localization for the future of accessible mobility

Third Prize – $300,000

This team developed “Ava”, the Autonomous Vehicle Assistant, an innovative ride-hailing, and localization smartphone application designed to seamlessly assist passengers with visual impairment and older adults during pre-journey planning, travel to pick-up locations, and vehicle entry. Ava uses innovative human-machine interfaces and technologies such as GPS and computer vision to help users find and ultimately arrive at an ADS-DV safely. The initial rollout of Ava’s training modules can be fully deployed and utilized via users’ existing smartphones, representing a cost-effective and timely solution to the problem of trust in automated vehicles.
 

Video Link: University of Maine

Project Contact: Nicholas Giudice
Project Website: https://umaine.edu/vemi/av-research-group/ 

Open Guide Scaled Mobility Assistance For All

Boston University
OpenGuide: A Scalable Human-Like Guidance System for Visually Impaired Travelers

Video Link: Boston University

Project Contact: Eshed Ohn-Bar
Project Website: https://open-guide-idc.github.io 

Carnegie Mellon University logo

Carnegie Mellon University Human-Computer Interaction Institute
Promoting personal control of ADS-DVs through inclusive smartphone communication interfaces

Video Link: Carnegie Mellon University Human-Computer Interaction Institute

Project Contact: Nikolas Martelaro

Project Website: https://www.cmu.edu/traffic21/index.html  OR  https://www.hcii.cmu.edu/ 

drivelab at Clemson University

Clemson University
Accessible Technology Leveraged for Autonomous vehicles System: ATLAS II

Video Link: Clemson University

Project Contact: Julian Brinkley

Project Website: http://drivelab.org/

Foresight Augmented Reality

Foresight Augmented Reality
Accessibility for Sensory Disabilities and Aging Populations Traveling on Automated Vehicles

Video Link: Foresight Augmented Reality

Project Contact: Chris Webb
Project Website: http://idc.foresightar.com 

May Mobility

May Mobility & University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI)
Independent Safety for Wheelchair Users in AVs

Video Link: May Mobility & University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI)

Project Contact: Erin McCurry

Project Website: https://www.umtri.umich.edu/ 

The University of Kansas logo

University of Kansas
Optimizing Highly Automated Driving Systems for People with Cognitive Disabilities

Video Link: University of Kansas

Project Contact: Alexandra Kondyli
Project Website: https://sites.google.com/view/AccessibleADS 

Waymo logo

Waymo
AV Wayfinding

Video Link: Waymo

Project Contact: Clement Wright

Last updated: Thursday, July 28, 2022