Project Overview

Powered mobility can improve quality of life for older adults who are unable to walk or use manual chairs; however, 20% of powered mobility users report at least one major collision within a year. Safety is a major concern when determining eligibility for powered mobility device use and can often to lead to exclusion. Older adults with a diagnosis of dementia are especially likely to be excluded because of visuo-perceptual difficulties experienced, which can make powered mobility device operation challenging or even impossible. Loss of mobility can in turn lead to depression and an increased reliance on caregivers. The objective of this project is to commercialize at larger scale, a low cost, after-market solution that can transform any mobility device (wheelchair/scooter) into a “smart” device that can automatically detect obstacles and provide the driver with multi-modal and customizable feedback. We are thus moving beyond our initial project scope that was limited to just wheelchairs. In addition, the goal is now to commercialize this system as part of a larger platform that can provide objective data in order to inform and augment training, assessment and provision processes to prevent undue exclusion of individuals from the use of powered mobility devices. This project can improve quality of life and restore dignity of older adults by increasing driver awareness, and safety of the driver as well as those in the surrounding environment. Moreover, mobility is a fundamental human right – our proposed technology can enable access to powered mobility by a large population that is currently being denied this right.