21the Wheelchair Project Case Study: Leveraging Collaborative Efforts and Partnerships to Provide Assitive Devices for People Affected by Disability in Thailand and Southeast Asia

Many people affected by disability require assistive devices, particularly mobility aids, in order to live independently and fully integrate into their communities. Throughout the world, numerous methods have been implemented in facilitating the provision of these devices to people affected by disabilities. This case study intends use the Rajanagarindra Institute of Child Development Wheelchair Project, located in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to evaluate the viability and efficacy of mobility-provision programs which adapt wheelchairs and other assistive devices not originally intended for the end user. Programs which must “retro-adapt” equipment, like the Wheelchair Project, rely heavily on medical and mechanical expertise to identify the recipients’ needs and safely modify the device accordingly. By examining the distribution statistics from the Wheelchair Project over its 20 years of operation and the needs of the disability community reported by the National Statistics Office of Thailand alongside a cost-benefit analysis of the declared value provided versus operational cost, this case-study systematically details the scope and financial viability of this approach. While not without constraints, this model succeeds in effectively capitalizing on available resources (both in regard to physical equipment as well as professional expertise) to meet the needs of those affected by disabilities in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Although still limited in size and reach, the Wheelchair Project demonstrably shows its viability and the potential this approach presents given the right circumstances.

User-Adaptive Brake Assist System for Rolling Walkers

Rolling walkers are popular mobility aids for older adults. A rolling walker usually has two swivel front wheels and two non-swivel rear wheels. It is designed to improve stability while walking and reduce the risk of falling. However, a considerable number of users have come close to or experienced falling. We developed a user-adaptive brake assist system for the walker. In the system, the usage of a walker is modeled in combination with the walking speed and the distance from the walker to the user. A brake pattern is generated based on usage data interpolated using the inverse distance weighting method. The pattern is referenced to activate brakes with the corresponding strength while walking. The applicability was confirmed by analyzing the walking data of two older adults, and the usability was positively evaluated in experiments with seven young adults wearing elderly simulation suits.

Low-Cost Ultrasonic Range Improvements for an Assistive Device

To achieve optimal mobility, visually impaired people have to deal with obstacle detection and avoidance challenges. Aside from the broadly adopted white cane, electronic aids have been developed. However, available electronic devices are not extensively used due to their complexity and price. As an effort to improve the existing ones, this work presents the design of a low-cost aid for blind people. A standard low-cost HC-SRF04 ultrasonic range is modified by adding phase modulation in the ultrasonic pulses, allowing it to detect the origin of emission, thus discriminating if the echo pulses come from the same device and avoiding false echoes due to interference from other sources. This improves accuracy and security in areas where different ultrasonic sensors are working simultaneously. The final device, based on users and trainers feedback for the design, works with the user’s own mobile phone, easing utilization and lowering manufacturing costs. The device was tested with a set of twenty blind persons carrying out a travel experiment and satisfaction survey. The main results showed a change in total involuntary contacts with unknown obstacles and high user satisfaction. Hence, we conclude that the device can fill a gap in the mobility aids and reduce feelings of insecurity amongst the blind.

Design for the visually impaired when traveling outdoors using omnidirectional imagery and image recognition

Assistive technologies, such as devices to help perform tasks, cognitive aids, mobility aids, physical modifications in the built environment and closed captioning, help to improve or maintain a person's ability to complete day-to-day tasks. For example, assistive technologies can be helpful for people with disabilities or the elderly, enabling them to work around challenges they may encounter. The development of assistive technologies depends on datasets, which are used for training, testing or validation. Furthermore, making such datasets widely available can help advance the field of assistive technologies. One area in which assistive technologies can be useful is in helping people who are visually impaired. For example, electronic mobility aids use ultrasonic waves that reflect off objects in front of people, letting them know what is ahead. At the Division of Industrial Art, Faculty of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, in Japan, Associate Professor Tetsuaki Baba is using a deep learning approach to develop assistive technology for visually impaired people. As a foundation for this work, he and his team have developed a dataset for developers to create deep learning vision-based applications for visually impaired people.

A Smart Walker for People with Both Visual and Mobility Impairment

In recent years, significant work has been done in technological enhancements for mobility aids (smart walkers). However, most of this work does not cover the millions of people who have both mobility and visual impairments. In this paper, we design and study four different configurations of smart walkers that are specifically targeted to the needs of this population. We investigated different sensing technologies (ultrasound-based, infrared depth cameras and RGB cameras with advanced computer vision processing), software configurations, and user interface modalities (haptic and audio signal based). Our experiments show that there are several engineering choices that can be used in the design of such assistive devices. Furthermore, we found that a holistic evaluation of the end-to-end performance of the systems is necessary, as the quality of the user interface often has a larger impact on the overall performance than increases in the sensing accuracy beyond a certain point.

A consumer assessment of women who use wheelchairs

LAY SUMMARY Female Veterans and female athletes with disabilities express concerns with mobility devices that are male-centric and do not address their unique needs. It is important that the needs of women are given the same attention as those of men. The following study asked groups of women who use wheelchairs or scooters, including Veterans and athletes, about their experiences. Twenty-four women, recruited from two sporting events for Veterans with disabilities, were asked to fill out a survey and participate in a focus group where they would discuss their views on mobility aids and related services. There were four major themes women often mentioned when they talked about using their mobility aids: usability (how they like using it), service delivery (how they get help with it), well-being (how they feel), and design (how it looks and works). Participants were concerned about the ability to adjust their device to their needs, how people obtained a device, and how they felt about using the device. Female wheelchair and scooter users recommended several changes to mobility aids that would improve the devices and improve the lives of women who use them.