NSF Convergence Accelerator Track H: Advancement of Driving Technology for Vocational Enablement

驾驶技术促进职业发展项目是一项多组织、多学科的努力，旨在通过自主驾驶改善残疾人的生活质量，从而实现有意义的就业和包容性。交通便利对于获得就业、教育、医疗保健和社会交往至关重要，但对残疾人来说仍然是一个重大障碍，尤其是在美国农村。对于一些代表性不足的群体来说，这种障碍进一步加剧，比如非洲裔美国人，他们为获得与类似的无残疾家庭成员相同的生活水平而承受更大的压力。无法独立驾驶的残疾人士获得、维持和扩大竞争性综合就业选择的能力有限，导致生活质量下降、社区参与有限，以及缺乏有意义的就业机会。该项目将开发先进的驾驶技术，以培养独立驾驶的技能和能力。一个由研究人员、行业领袖、教育工作者、残疾人和各种利益相关者组成的联盟将在“融合加速器”第一阶段项目中进行概念验证，以进一步促进代表美国最大少数群体的残疾人的科学、繁荣和福利。该项目仍然深深植根于通用设计，文化响应干预，并在学科和代表性方面拥抱多元化的社区，为获得成为独立驾驶员所需的技能提出创新的解决方案。这项计划的创新成果可能会超越残疾人士，为所有人士提供先进的技术和教育机会，使他们成为熟练的独立司机。此外，该项目将创造包括残疾人在内的多样化和熟练的劳动力，促进美国的经济繁荣和社会福利。“融合加速器”项目通过以使用为灵感的融合研究，解决全国范围内的社会挑战。在第一阶段，该项目将重点关注残疾人士获得和保持有竞争力的综合就业所需的最重要技能之一：独立驾驶。在规划阶段，多元化的团队将参与创新的融合加速器课程，并计划将这一模式应用于技术开发，以支持残疾人士的自主驾驶。第一阶段的拟议团队包括行为心理学、康复咨询、以人为中心计算、虚拟现实、机器学习、自动驾驶汽车为重点的工程专家，以及与残疾、技术、机器人和人工智能等中心和行业的合作伙伴关系。这个多样化的专业小组提供了一个独特的技能和资源的交叉点，以满足项目的需求。在第一阶段，该团队希望完成一些成果，直接用于开发可扩展的技术，以满足残疾人士的独立驾驶需求。该项目概述了满足第一阶段融合加速器需求的五个主要交付成果。首先，该团队将明确确定现有自主驾驶研究和技术的差距。第一阶段的大部分时间将用于与其他合作伙伴和利益攸关方正式达成协议，以支持通用设计和文化响应性干预。在这方面，残疾人社区的合作伙伴和利益攸关方对于确保多样性、公平性和包容性至关重要，这是项目规划、科学和所有其他规划方面的一部分。虽然最初的步骤将贯穿整个项目的生命周期，但从这些步骤中收集的数据和信息将支持团队确定最具创新性和符合文化的解决方案，以满足残疾人士的独立驾驶需求。这将最终证明一个概念和一个想法，将可行地解决残疾人成为独立的司机。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 Advancement of Driving Technology for Vocational Enablement project is a multi-organizational and multi-disciplinary effort to improve the quality of life of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) through independent driving, resulting in meaningful employment and inclusivity. Access to transportation is essential for obtaining employment, education, healthcare, and social interaction, yet remains a significant barrier for PWDs, particularly in rural America. This barrier is further exacerbated for some underrepresented groups, such as African Americans who experience higher strain to obtain the same standard of living as a similar household member without a disability. The ability to obtain, maintain, and have expanded competitive integrated employment options are limited for PWDs who are unable to independently drive, resulting in reduced quality of life, limited community engagement, and lack of meaningful employment. This project will develop advanced driving technology that will serve to cultivate the skillset and ability to independently drive. A consortium of researchers, industry leaders, educators, PWDs, and various stakeholders will produce a proof of concept in this Convergence Accelerator Phase I project, to further advance science, prosperity, and welfare of PWDs, who represent the largest minority group in the United States. This project remains deeply rooted in universal design, culturally responsive intervention, and embraces a diverse community in discipline and in representation to bring forward an innovative solution for acquiring the skills necessary to become an independent driver. The innovative outcomes of this project are likely to transcend PWDs by offering advanced technological and educational opportunities for all individuals to become skilled, independent drivers. Additionally, this project will create a diverse and skilled workforce that includes PWDs—advancing the economic prosperity and social welfare of the United States. The Convergence Accelerator program addresses national-scale societal challenges through use-inspired convergence research. In Phase I, this project will focus on one of the most important skills necessary to obtain and maintain competitive integrated employment for PWDs: independent driving. Within this planning phase, the diverse team will participate in the innovative convergence accelerator curriculum and will plan and apply this model to the development of technology to support independent driving for PWDs. The proposed team in Phase I consists of experts in behavioral psychology, rehabilitation counseling, engineering with a focus in human-center computing, virtual reality, machine learning, autonomous vehicles, and partnerships with centers and industries surrounding disabilities, technology, robotics, and artificial intelligence. This diverse group of expertise offers a unique intersection of skills and resources to meet the demands of the project. During Phase I, the team hopes to accomplish a handful of deliverables lending themselves directly to the development of scalable technology to meet the independent driving needs of PWDs. This project outlined five primary deliverables to meet the demands of the Phase I Convergence Accelerator. First, the team will work to explicitly identify the gaps in the existing research and technology for independent driving. A large part of the Phase I year will be spend on formalizing agreements with additional partnerships and stakeholders needed to support universal design and culturally responsive intervention. In this vein, partners and stakeholders in the disability community will be vital for ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of the planning, the science, and all other programmatic aspects of the project. While the initial steps will be ongoing across the life of the project, it is the data and information collected from these steps that will support the team in determining the best innovative and culturally responsive solution to meet PWDs independent driving needs. This will culminate in a final proof of concept and pitch of an idea that will actionably address PWDs becoming independent drivers.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.