USDOT seeks to make automated vehicles more accessible to people with disabilities

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The U. S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) opened the first stage of its Inclusive Design Challenge on Tuesday, offering a national prize for designs that make automated vehicles more accessible to those with disabilities.

The design challenge will look for innovative solutions to help people with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities use automated vehicles. The challenge will cover two stages of competition, and teams will compete to earn a portion of a $5 million prize.

The first stage of the challenge will be open for submissions from April 21 through Oct. 30.

The challenge is part of a nearly $50 million investment into access to transportation for people with disabilities directed by U. S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. In October 2019, Chao announced the initiative to expand access during the department’s Access and Mobility for All Summit. Investment in accessibility-related research has increased by nearly 50 percent over the last three years.

Teams from academia, industry, and technology companies can join the challenge to submit solutions that may include hardware, software, or both. The solutions should be intended to allow independent use of automated vehicles by those with disabilities. Stage 1 of the challenge will cover written proposals describing the solution. Up to 10 semifinalists will be awarded $300,000 and move on to the second stage of the challenge. In Stage II, semifinalists will compete for a portion of the remaining prize money, $2,000,000, by creating prototype demonstrations of their idea.

DOT anticipates awarding Stage II prizes in the summer of 2022.
For more information can be found at the USDOT – Inclusive Design Challenge Website.