Wheelchair AV App Controls for Driverless Ramp Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
In autonomous vehicles, passengers with wheelchairs face challenges entering and exiting without human assistance, as there is no additional individual to assist with the complex procedures of deploying and securing ramps and restraints, especially in ridesharing environments where no human driver is present.
Innovation Solution
A wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle system that allows passengers to use a mobile application to request and control wheelchair-accessible systems, including deployment and operation of ramps and restraints, through communication with a remote computing system, which sends commands and receives feedback for executing ingress and egress functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous vehicles are deployed without human drivers, then productivity and automation are improved, but the ability to assist passengers with wheelchairs during ingress and egress deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables wheelchair passengers to independently control ingress and egress functions through a mobile application interface. The passenger can request door opening, ramp deployment, and restraint system operation without requiring a human driver or assistant, making the vehicle serve itself and its passenger independently.
Solution Approach 2:
A mobile application serves as an intermediary between the wheelchair passenger and the vehicle's accessibility systems. The application receives passenger requests, translates them into appropriate commands, and coordinates the sequential execution of multiple functions (door opening, ramp deployment, restraint activation) to facilitate independent passenger control.
2Ease of operation
If manual assistance is provided for wheelchair ingress and egress, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity and resource requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle's accessibility systems are designed to operate autonomously based on passenger requests, eliminating the need for external human assistance. The system self-coordinates the sequence of operations (door opening, ramp deployment, restraint activation) and monitors execution, making the complex assistance functions self-managing rather than requiring additional personnel or manual intervention.
3Reliability
If multiple functions are coordinated for safe wheelchair ingress and egress, then reliability is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The ingress and egress process is divided into distinct functional segments: door opening, ramp deployment, wheelchair positioning, and restraint activation. Each function is controlled independently through the mobile application, allowing the system to manage complexity by breaking down the overall process into manageable, separately controllable steps while maintaining safety through coordinated execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms to monitor the execution of each accessibility function. The mobile application receives status information about door position, ramp deployment status, and restraint activation, allowing the system to verify proper execution of each step and ensure safety requirements are met before proceeding to the next function.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject disclosure relates to techniques for application-based controls of a wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle. A process of the disclosed technology can include steps for receiving a request for a wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle (WAV) to execute an ingress function, wherein the ingress function includes a deployment of a wheelchair ramp by the WAV, sending an ingress command to the WAV in response to the request, wherein the ingress command comprises instructions cause the WAV to execute the ingress function at a specified pick-up location, and receiving feedback from the WAV, the feedback includes sensor data associated with a wheelchair ramp and status information associated with the ingress function. Machine-readable media and systems are also provided.