Framework for developing solutions for accessible mobility: Potential of IoT solutions in public transportation

A significant portion of global population has disabilities limiting their independent mobility. Assistive technologies and accessible physical environment can reduce the challenges. Concepts such as Internet of Things (IoT) and smart environments, however, are still scarcely utilized in practice although they can provide a new level of assistance by interconnecting people and their personal devices with their environment. In this paper, we analyse opportunities and prerequisites of IoT solutions for improving accessibility in a public transport context. Furthermore, we define a framework for understanding and analysing how humans, their activities and supporting solutions are intertwined in and with their context. An essential value is a multidisciplinary approach that helps to find and design solutions with a comprehensive view: understanding different users’ needs, the related tasks as well as opportunities and preconditions for solutions scalable to different user groups and situations.