Smart Wheels - Interviews and Observations

3&aCuckoo — Internet of Things

It was in the end of April when were announced that our final assignment for the AdandPRlab of the Panteion University (Department of Communication, Media and Culture) was to deliver a startup project in the context of I.O.T (Internet Of Things).

After a lot of brainstorming and research, we decided to design the perfect wheelchair, for the disabled people, called “Smart Wheels”. We noticed that Greece was characterized by a lack of infrastructure so we wanted to trigger society’s sensitivity with this action.

As a team, we collected some essential assumptions that were provoked by our own observations in life. Observations such as that people with physical disabilities;

• cannot find easily accessible venues and parking lots
• probably feel isolated
• are willing to discover new places by themselves and feel independent

It was the beginning of a new chapter called “Interviews”. We had the opportunity to design our own questions, based on our assumptions, and address those people. We came into contact with the organisation “ΣΚΕΠ” (which specializes in the familiarization with disabled people) and the official team of rugby, in Spyrou Louis field in Maroussi and arranged our meeting.

It was truly a great experience as we interviewed true fighters who inspired us to never give up in life.We were amazed by their positive attitude and their outlook on life.

Conclusions;

Despite the fact that we live in a digital world, our interviewees confirmed that there is no essential information on the internet about the accessible venues. They use the “word of mouth” and their own personal experiences for their outings. They socialize and go out more than we thought they would, which was a great surprise.

It’s necessary for quadriplegics to be accompanied by an escort so that their outing could be as easy as possible. It is also worth mentioning that Greece has the highest percentage of disabled drivers in Europe, and this is because the infrastructure of the city doesn’t really take into account these people. Many were disappointed by this matter, for instance at the metro station imagine the feeling they undergo when they find out that the elevator doesn’t work.

Furthermore, parking lots for disabled people are most of the time taken. However, some of them find easily as they park somewhere illegally as they use their disability sign.

There is a tendency in customized wheelchairs, which is amazing, because each person has his personal wheelchair. Prices range from 3,500 to 10,000 $.

A significant reference was made to the usability of electric wheelchairs outdoors, but also to the great independence it offers, especially to quadriplegic people, as opposed to the conventional ones that would require someone to accompany them at all times.

How the insights helped us;

These insights undoubtedly helped us to develop “Smart Wheels”. We were inspired by the fact that there is no useful online info, so we suggested to create a navigator which will be integrated in the Smart Wheels system and it will guide them to the best routes, stores and services. It will provide a variety of options and activities to do, connected to the internet of course. We will stop the illegal parking by providing a whole network of automatic cameras with sensors that will be placed in every parking lot for people with disabilities. At last, “Smart Wheels” will be easily customized by each user’s preferences.

This assignment was a great experience!

Team: 3 & a Cuckoo

Consisted of: 1)Agis Lamprakis, 2)Eirini Zaveli, 3)Filitsa Makri/Moutousi, 4)Katerina Kaouni, 5)Katerina Kanellopoulou

Many thanks to: Spiros Kapetanakis, Betty Tsakarestou and Katerina Vlassopoulou