Semifinalist Team: May Mobility & University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI)
Proposal Title: Independent Safety for Wheelchair Users in AVs
Proposal Summary: For this project, the research team will install an automated wheelchair docking system meeting specifications for a universal docking interface geometry (UDIG). This concept allows any wheelchair with attachment hardware meeting the UDIG specifications to dock with any vehicle equipped with anchoring hardware meeting the UDIG specifications. The team will also include an automated seatbelt donning-system with its docking system. The research team intends to present their automated wheelchair docking and restraint system within a wheelchair-accessible electric hybrid minivan for their Stage II demonstration.