The Problem
With our current infrastructure in most public places and home settings, navigation for wheelchair users can prove to be very difficult. Not every building offers ramps or elevators, and when present, they are often placed in inconvenient and hard-to-find areas. Even in locations that claim to be “wheel-chair friendly”, the ramps put in place are often too steep, too narrow, or have rough terrain. Some wheelchair users are left searching for a long time for an accessible path. This can greatly affect wheelchair users in their day-to-day lives by creating a major inconvenience when attending important events such as class or work, visiting public areas, or moving through one’s household. An estimated 3.3 million Americans are currently wheelchair users, putting a large minority group at a said disadvantage. In order to improve our inclusivity as a society, our design solution, Smart Seat.
Our Solution
Movability
Smart Seat, aids users in traveling and moving more efficiently in their chair. It has built in sensors that scans the surrounding environment in order to recommend a proper width that the wheels should move in to to fit through corridors, allowing the user to easily move the wheels inward through a click of a button.
Recommended Speed
We even offer a recommended speed option that allows users to travel at a safe speed and make it to events on time. This is all easily accessible to the user through the screen on the armrest of the chair, right at their fingertips.
GPS
Our GPS function also allows them to set a location and follow a guided route that takes into account the fastest path that contains ramps and elevators as well as adequate pathways for the chair. We even offer a recommended speed option that allows users to travel at a safe speed and make it to events on time.
Dissemble or
Reassemble
Our design also allows quick transportation of the wheelchair in any vehicle by disassembling and assembling the wheelchair into pieces, and showing the user how to do so properly