SBIR Phase I: SeeingBus: Improving Public Transportation Services for the Blind

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段的更广泛影响/商业潜力是改善残疾人，特别是视障人士的公共交通服务。视障人士严重依赖公共交通，将其作为从事日常生活和社会活动的基本服务。然而，他们经常面临以下挑战：(1)决定乘坐哪辆公共汽车，特别是在繁忙的公共汽车站，当有多辆公共汽车驶近时；(2)在离开车站之前及时登上正确的公共汽车。SeeingBus将通过开发一种先进的通知服务来提醒公交车司机，解决社会和市场的需求，以减轻这些挑战，从而促进视力障碍人士独立使用公共交通工具。改善公共交通对残疾人的可达性以及提高对其服务的认识将增加乘客数量，从而增加机构的收入。该项目将通过促进对残疾人独立旅行所需的智慧城市服务的理解，为科学界和整个社会做出贡献。拟议的项目将开发并商业化智能城市服务，以改善视障人士的公共交通。这项名为SeeingBus的服务可以提前通知公交车司机下一站的候车乘客。有视力障碍的人经常错过公共汽车，因为他们面临着登上正确的公共汽车的挑战。SeeingBus旨在改善公共交通的可达性，甚至在公共汽车到达视障乘客等候的车站之前，就让司机参与进来。作为智慧城市愿景的一部分，SeeingBus将通过智能传感器加强乘客、公交车站和公交司机之间的沟通，从而增强公共交通系统的连通性。SeeingBus利用大数据提醒公交司机残疾乘客的信息，这样司机就可以帮助残疾人安全上车。本课题的研究目的是开发和测试SeeingBus系统的可行性。发展公共交通对于促进个人的旅行和独立至关重要，这与NSF通过科学进步促进繁荣和福利的使命是一致的。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I is the improvement of public transportation services for people with disabilities, specifically people with visual impairments. Individuals with visual impairments are heavily dependent on public transit as an essential service for engaging in daily life and social activities. However, they often face challenges with (1) determining which bus to board, especially at busy bus stops when multiple buses approach, and (2) boarding the correct bus in a timely fashion before they leave the stop. By developing an advanced notification service for alerting bus drivers, SeeingBus will address the societal and market needs to mitigate these challenges and thereby promote independent use of public transportation among people with visual impairments. Improving accessibility of public transportation to people with disabilities along with enhancing perception of their service will boost ridership resulting in increased revenue for agencies. The project will contribute to the scientific community as well as society in general by advancing understanding of Smart City services needed for independent travel of people with disabilities.The proposed project will develop and commercialize a Smart City service to improve public transportation for people with visual impairments. The service, SeeingBus, provides an advanced notification to bus drivers about users waiting at their next stop. People with visual impairments often miss buses due to challenges they face with boarding the correct bus. SeeingBus aims to improve accessibility of public transportation by engaging bus drivers even before the bus arrives at the stop where riders with visual impairments are waiting. As part of the smart city vision, SeeingBus will enhance connectivity of public transportation systems through greater communication between riders, bus stops, and bus drivers by means of smart sensors. Using big data, SeeingBus alerts bus drivers about users with disabilities, so the drivers can assist individuals in boarding the bus safely. The research objective of this project is to develop and test the feasibility of the SeeingBus system. Advancing public transportation, essential to promoting the travel and independence of individuals, aligns with the NSF mission to advance prosperity and welfare through scientific advancements.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.