SMART MOBILITY improves convenience of the last-mile connectivity; improves safety; and creates new possibilities in digital service offerings.

Background

Personal capacity and infrastructural design very often impact one’s ability to move from Point A to B, traverse various floors of a building, or simply enter through a door.  These, in turn, affect independence, self-sufficiency, and psychology that the population faces up to.

How do we enable, encourage, and support with innovation to overcome accessibility and mobility challenges?  How do we address physical and infrastructural barriers to embody the inclusiveness in smart cities?  By improving and overcoming challenges, the solutions promote interactions which can lead to meaningful careers, and ultimately better quality of life.

Following the fireside chat held in the Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab (the Lab) in August 2022, Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) and Lions Befrienders (LB) are determined to address accessibility and mobility challenges with innovators that we are now inviting to participate in this Call for Innovation (CFI), supported by SG Enable (SGE).

We are also fortunate to have EM Services contribute challenge statements as well.

CALL FOR INNOVATION (CFI)

HMG and LB, in partnership with the Lab, intend to work with global partners in an ecosystem to drive holistic, end-to-end accessibility and mobility solutions for those affected, and other stakeholders alike.

This project involves the following stages:

1.Identifying accessibility and mobility challenges in transportation and infrastructures that respective innovators submit along with their solutions

2. Reviewing CFI proposals by innovators with the potential of teaming up with one another to provide holistic, end-to-end solutions

Venues

Examples of Challenges

Transportation

  • How do we enable convenient, safe, comfortable, and affordable access to private and public transportation and during the journey?
  • How does one seek assistance in wayfinding, whereabouts, locations, and vehicle identification?
  • What are ways for Persons with Disabilities to enter/exit vehicles with ease?
  • How can the seniors with mobility issues be safely transported/moved to and from their homes to the community centers to participate in activities?
  • Seniors who are frail or with mobility issues face difficulties going for their medical appointments. On the other hand, there are organizations and volunteers who can provide medical escorts. How can we better coordinate and synchronize such demand and supply to allow for a quick and efficient delivery of such services?
  • In LB, a good number of seniors are provided tablets (called IM-OK) for wellness and preventive health purposes. LB would like to use this tablet as an “ordering device” whereby seniors who have mobility issues can order items. How to enable LB’s IM-OK to perform ordering and have such items delivered to them efficiently and safely?

Infrastructure

  • Barrier-free access (BFA) routes from point to point for those who are unfamiliar with the estate. How do we provide BFA wayfinding in a building, carpark, restrooms, elevators, stairs, and public areas?
  • Access from upper floor at HDB flats to ground level, especially at units situated at half landing (no barrier-free access), as well as segmented stacks (dependent on a single lift) and if the lift is shut down for repair or servicing, becomes an issue for wheelchair bound. What are the ways to overcome such accessibility challenge?
  • Current lifts at most HDB blocks do not allow wheelchair users to maneuver and turn 360 degrees; the users will need to reverse their wheelchairs out from the lifts. How do we enable wheelchair maneuverability?
  • Some HDB estates are built on higher grounds from road level; Cost of constructing barrier-free access with gradient 1:12 to bus-stops is very high; users could only make use of existing roads and driveways to reach the blocks. How do we provide accessibility and safe mobility to those affected?
  • What are some other barriers that hinder accessibility and mobility? And what innovations can ease such challenges?

AUDIENCES

  • Persons with Disabilities
    • Visual Impairment
    • Deafness/Hard-of-hearing
    • Physical Disability
    • Developmental Disability
    • Intellectual Disability
  • Seniors
  • Caregivers, Medical Support
  • Able-bodied
  • Service Providers
    • Building Owners
    • Transportation Providers
    • Infrastructure Providers

 

Access from upper floor at HDB flats to ground level, especially at units situated at half landing (no barrier-free access), as well as segmented stacks (dependent on a single lift) and if the lift is shut down for repair or servicing, becomes an issue for wheelchair bound. What are the ways to overcome such accessibility challenge?

Current lifts at most HDB blocks do not allow wheelchair users to maneuver and turn 360 degrees; the users will need to reverse their wheelchairs out from the lifts. How do we enable wheelchair maneuverability?

Some HDB estates are built on higher grounds from road level. Users could only make use of existing roads and driveways to reach the blocks. How do we provide accessibility and safe mobility to those affected?

PROCESS FLOW

  • Problem Statement

    • How do we collectively overcome accessibility and mobility challenges in transportation and infrastructures affordably and conveniently?

  • Baseline

    • Current transportation and infrastructure exist “stand-alone”
    • Existing solutions reliant on assistants/caregivers

  • Desired Outcome

    • Seamless mobility
    • Improved accessibility
    • Improved safety
    • Affordable
    • Integrated transportation and infrastructure solutions

  • Evaluation Criteria

    • Effectiveness
    • Degree of self-reliance
    • Affordability
    • Innovativeness
    • Technology readiness

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Criteria

Weight

Description

Effectiveness

30%

How much accessibility, mobility or safety the solution improves

Degree of
self-reliance

30%

How much the solution replaces existing human support and enables the independence

Affordability

20%

How much the solution is economically sustainable or can be provided at low cost

Innovativeness

10%

How innovative or differentiated from existing solutions in the market the solution is

Technology readiness

10%

How ready the technology of partner or the group is to demonstrate a prototype in relevant environment (TRL 6)

TIMELINE

Timeline

Event

22 Nov 2022

Soft launch

30 Nov 2022

Official launch

11 Jan 2023, 3:30pm Singapore Time, the Lab

CFI briefing

On or before 14 Feb 2023, 5:00pm Singapore Time, techchampion@smartlab.expert

Proposal submission

Week of 27 Feb 2023, to be advised

Presentation

Mar 2023, to be advised

Evaluation

Mar 2023, to be advised

CFI result announcement

  • Followed by co-development opportunities with HMG and LB to drive accessibility and mobility solutions in Smart City

COMPANY INTRODUCTION

Hyundai Motor Group is a global enterprise that has created a value chain based on mobility, steel, and construction, as well as logistics, finance, IT, and service. With about 270,000 employees worldwide, the Group’s mobility brands include Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. Armed with creative thinking, cooperative communication and the will to take on any challenges, we strive to create a better future for all.

Organization Introduction
Lions Befrienders (LB)

Established in 1995, Lions Befrienders (LB) has more than 26 years of experience in befriending and caring for seniors in order for them to age in place in the community.  Over the years, LB strives to address the varied needs of more than 86,000 seniors by adopting a senior-centric approach in its eldercare services.  Leveraging on the support of our regular volunteers, we actively engage the seniors via a spectrum of integrated eldercare service from preventive to intervention through comprehensive programmes, to provide holistic care and ensure that seniors are socially, emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually engaged.

Amid the challenges in the eldercare landscape, LB undertakes constant review and adjustment to its programmes and services. We currently operate 10 Active Ageing Centres, 3 Cluster Support, 2 Senior Group Homes, Home Personal Care services and Communities of Care.  Our Befriending arm extends befriending services to seniors in need. Today, our service boundaries have extended to about 35,000 seniors.

For more information, visit www.lionsbefrienders.org.sg.

Organization Introduction
SG Enable

About SG Enable

SG Enable seeks to enable persons with disabilities to live, learn, work and play in an inclusive society.  The focal agency for disability in Singapore, it raises awareness on disability issues and facilitates access to disability schemes and services.  It brings partners together to share knowledge, collaborate and innovate, striving towards a common goal of building an inclusive Singapore and enabling lives.  Set up by the Ministry of Social and Family Development in 2013, it is a registered charity and an Institution of a Public Character.  For more information, visit www.sgenable.sg

For enquiries, please email:
techchampion@smartlab.expert