Barrier-free Accessible Mobility Pitch-off Competition
Barrier-free Accessible Mobility Pitch-off Competition Co-Chairs
Shabnam Pejhan
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Ontario Tech University, Canada
Charlie Garnett
Vehicle Architect, Accessibility Management, General Motors, USA
Alan Hejl
Founder & Lead Consultant, Spark Access, USA
Background
Challenge Theme
Barrier-free Accessible Mobility Pitch-off Competition
The current revolution in smart mobility represents great opportunities for the elderly population, people with disabilities, and those with chronic disease, but only if we build on a foundation of inclusive design.
The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that 1-in-6 people in the world will be aged 60 years or over by 2030. People with disabilities represent the world’s largest minority and the only minority group that any of us can become a member of at any time. WHO estimates that 1.3 billion+ people (16% of the world’s population) have some form of disability. Moreover, globally, approximately 1-in-3 adults have multiple chronic diseases. These statistics are compounded by significant intersectionality between the three communities.
Mobility gives access to key aspects of life such as work, healthcare, education, shopping, outdoor recreation, and entertainment. People with disabilities and elderly persons face several mobility barriers in their daily lives, significantly impacting their personal and social wellbeing. Inclusive mobility aims to facilitate ease of transportation for seniors and people with disabilities across the range of physical, vision, hearing, cognitive, and chronic disease.
Challenge Statement
Several accessible solutions are developed to improve the mobility of people with disabilities and seniors. These lie at the intersection of hardware, software, service, and system design. Solutions include, but are not limited to, ergonomic mobility aids, exoskeletons and soft exosuits, autonomous wheelchairs, voice-enabled navigation apps, vision and speech aids, tracking devices, healthcare transportation and accessibility maps, to name just a few.
The technical components of inclusive mobility systems should be explicitly conceived and designed following a user-driven approach instead of traditionally used technology-push and problem-focused approaches. Without a user-driven approach, there is a danger that ill-conceived mobility technologies will, at best, be irrelevant or inappropriate and, at worst, will reinforce some of the negative ageist or ableist assumptions that frame much of society’s response to aging and/or disability. Any technical design activity must embrace the concept of “Nothing about Us, Without Us” and consider whether the voice of the user is genuinely represented.
This challenge focuses on how we might use user-centric technologies to achieve accessible mobility for people with disabilities and seniors. Proposed solutions should focus on showing how these aids and assistive technologies can make the mobility of people with disabilities and seniors more accessible, inclusive, equitable, and efficient. In order to cover a wide spectrum of barriers, this pitch-off challenge has the following three tracks with a common design thinking question: “How might we use user-centric technologies to achieve barrier-free mobility and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle?”.
Track 1: Elderly People
How might user-centric mobility technology help elderly people?
Track 2: People with Disabilities
How might user-centric mobility technology help people with disabilities (across the spectrum of mobility, visual, hearing, cognitive and intellectual disability)?
Track 3: People with Chronic Diseases
How might user-centric mobility technology help people with chronic diseases?
Important Dates
15
April, 2024
Challenge Kick off
15
July, 2024
Submission Deadline
15
August, 2024
Notification of Acceptance
1 - 15
August , 2024
Mentorship
25
August , 2024
Semi-final Pitching
17
September, 2024
Notification of Acceptance
15
April, 2024
Call for Papers
15
July, 2024
Paper submission deadline
31
August, 2024
Notification of Acceptance
7
September, 2024
Camera-ready paper submission
16-18
September, 2024
Conference Dates
Eligibility Criteria and Registration
- The competition is open to all people interested in smart and inclusive mobility, whether from academic (High School students, University students, Graduates, and Post Graduates) or industrial background.
- Entries will be accepted from teams (at least 2 team members).
- Each team can submit only one entry.
- The official language for the competition and submissions is English.
- Participation in the competition is free of charge.
Scoring Criteria
The submissions will be evaluated equally by expert judges based on four criteria: Originality, User-Centricity, Execution, and Usefulness.
- Originality: Is the solution entirely novel or provides a fresh approach to the targeted challenge?
- User-Centricity: Is the solution usable by physically challenged individuals and/or seniors? Does the solution have practical benefits for the targeted users in their everyday lives?
- Execution: Is the solution practical and feasible? If the solution involves the use of an advanced technology, will it be implementable and usable in a realistic time frame?
- Usability: Is the solution something that mobility service providers would implement, use, and benefit from to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities and/or seniors?
Each criterion will be evaluated based on a rating scale of 0-10, with 0 being the lowest possible score and 10 being the highest. For example, in the Originality criterion, a score of 0 means the solution is entirely unoriginal and is in use today; while a score of 10 means the solution is entirely novel and has not been used.
The highest scoring solutions will make it to the final round on 18 September, 2024, where the participants will have the opportunity to present live in front of the judges for 20 minutes. In addition to the above-mentioned criteria, the finalists will be also judged on Presentation during the live event. The total score will be calculated using the following weighted average formula:
Total_Score=0.2*orginality_Score + 0.25*User_centricity_Score + 0.15*Execution_Score +0.15*Usability_Score + 0.25*Presentation_Score
General Instructions
- Participants can use design thinking, solution drafting, and business planning to answer the main question of the selected track.
- Participants should consider innovative user-driven solutions that can ensure accessible, inclusive, and equitable mobility conditions. Your proposal should explain how your solution empowers the targeted users in the selected track. The proposal should also identify the used/proposed technologies and mechanisms, and clearly explain the different components and specifications that your solution would comprise.
- In case of planning end-user interviews/research sessions with targeted users, these sessions should be carried out in informal and non-threatening settings and should be subject to the established ethical guidelines and procedures in your country. Procedures for informing prospective users and gaining consent should be indicated as part of the submitted proposal in this case.
- Finalists will pitch their proposed solutions to a panel of expert judges during the conference.
We will be looking forward to receiving your submissions,
Kindly promote the IEEE (SM’24) to interested individuals and communities in your vicinity.
Best regards, and looking forward to seeing you at the IEEE (SM’24) in September!
Challenge Organizers
Main Organizers
Strategic Partners
Main Organizers
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