Improving Mobility Equity in Higher Education: Development of an inclusive Indoor Navigation System for Wheelchair Users

Abstract

Throughout Europe, paraplegic and tetraplegic individuals face challenges related to inclusion due to the lack of infrastructure supporting their mobility within universities. Considering the average of paraplegic and tetraplegic wheelchair users in European higher education institutions, the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ISEP) is estimated to have at least one person per year with such mobility limitations. This means that there is at least one individual who is prevented from moving freely through ISEP’s buildings because of a condition they did not choose to have. In response, ISEP InDoor Mapping is a project developed within ISEP’s Master’s in Informatics Engineering, aiming to enhance real-time accessibility not only to paraplegic and tetraplegic students, but for all wheelchair users that wish to navigate ISEP. The project entails the development of a mobile application operating as an indoor navigation system, using Beacons and a biometric system to detect the user’s position and provide accessible routes to their destinations. This application will feature specifications considering the physical implications of these two different conditions, reflecting the project’s careful consideration and rigor regarding paraplegic and tetraplegic wheelchair users. Its design prioritizes intuition and simplicity, ensuring that the user’s experience is as practical and seamless as possible. The app supports multiple input methods, allowing people with paraplegia or tetraplegia to control navigation through an EPOC brain-computer interface (BCI) via brain signals, integrated with wheelchair assistance. Additionally, a complementary web application collects data and statistics regarding the users’ experience, providing insights to optimize its functionality. The project further outlines its technological requirements, as well as its schedule, budget and team formation.

Keywords: Inclusive Indoor Navigation, Wheelchair Accessibility, Brain-Computer Interface

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007154