A collaborative project between the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and University College London (UCL) is developing wheelchair-accessible maps of Delhi using innovative sensing platforms.
The Street Rehab project has been designed to gain a clear understanding of user needs, available technology and the accessibility of India's capital, UCL researchers said on Wednesday.
"Infrastructure in India can often make pushing a wheelchair or tricycle difficult. We are trying to identify how people are currently getting around in Delhi, to find new ways of facilitating rehabilitation and identifying ways to improve infrastructure," said Dr Catherine Holloway of the UCL's Interaction Centre and Academic Director of the Global Disability Innovation Hub.
The UCL team has developed low-cost sensors that can identify features of the sidewalk and gauge how the wheelchair or tricycle users propel themselves.
The sensors are linked to the user's mobile phone, to make their mobility device part .
