Accessibility for all<\/strong><\/h4>\nRemoving barriers is what accessibility is all about. Many people think of accessibility as something which has limited use for specific people but in reality accessibility solutions are often useful for individuals both with and without disability. For example, Piaggio\u2019s gita<\/a>. It\u2019s a device that can carry up to 40lbs, hands free. It uses depth to help it follow you, identifying you unambiguously, and carrying groceries or personal items with ease at speeds up to 6mph. As with many robotic devices, using depth allows for a more concrete understanding of the environment, such as detecting when the device is about to fall off a cliff (definitely something that you don\u2019t want happening<\/a>).\n\nThe gita has been designed to improve the pedestrian experience \u2013 to allow people to walk unencumbered in their environments without needing to worry about what they are carrying. This product is a great example of something that can improve quality of life and experiences for people with and without disabilities.\n![\"Piaggio](\"https:\/\/www.realsenseai.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Piaggio_Gita.jpg\")
Piaggio gita<\/a><\/p>\nWe often think of disability as something that is binary \u2013 either you have a disability or you do not, but it\u2019s really a spectrum that varies from individual to individual, and even from day to day in the same individual. Closed, primarily walking communities such as retirement communities could utilize gita to help residents walk to the store instead of needing to drive. Similarly, people who need to use a walker or wheelchair some or all of the time could find gita useful to carry more than they would normally be able to. Even if someone is physically able to carry things themselves, the gita makes it easier to get moving or choose walking over riding.\n![\"Hoobox](\"https:\/\/www.realsenseai.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Hoobox_Wheelie.jpg\")
Hoobox Wheelie<\/em><\/p>\n\nDepth as a control<\/strong><\/h4>\nAs well as allowing a computer or device to understand environmental cues, depth cameras can also be used as a control mechanism \u2013 for example, instead of a joystick or physical controls, a depth camera can be used to control a PC, or in the case of Hoobox, a wheelchair<\/a>. A small startup from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Hoobox built a system with RealSense\u2122 Depth Cameras<\/a> and software that allows people to control motorized wheelchairs with simple facial expressions. Make a kissy face to go forward, wrinkle your nose to turn left, and smile to stop, for instance (users can pick from 10 expressions to control their chair). The innovative part of this product is that the kit can be installed very easily on existing wheelchairs, using a small robotic arm to control the joystick on a motorized wheelchair. By using a depth camera, the accuracy of the expression recognition is improved, and allows the system to avoid invasive body sensors.\n\n
Piaggio gita<\/a><\/p>\nWe often think of disability as something that is binary \u2013 either you have a disability or you do not, but it\u2019s really a spectrum that varies from individual to individual, and even from day to day in the same individual. Closed, primarily walking communities such as retirement communities could utilize gita to help residents walk to the store instead of needing to drive. Similarly, people who need to use a walker or wheelchair some or all of the time could find gita useful to carry more than they would normally be able to. Even if someone is physically able to carry things themselves, the gita makes it easier to get moving or choose walking over riding.\nHoobox Wheelie<\/em><\/p>\n\nDepth as a control<\/strong><\/h4>\nAs well as allowing a computer or device to understand environmental cues, depth cameras can also be used as a control mechanism \u2013 for example, instead of a joystick or physical controls, a depth camera can be used to control a PC, or in the case of Hoobox, a wheelchair<\/a>. A small startup from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Hoobox built a system with RealSense\u2122 Depth Cameras<\/a> and software that allows people to control motorized wheelchairs with simple facial expressions. Make a kissy face to go forward, wrinkle your nose to turn left, and smile to stop, for instance (users can pick from 10 expressions to control their chair). The innovative part of this product is that the kit can be installed very easily on existing wheelchairs, using a small robotic arm to control the joystick on a motorized wheelchair. By using a depth camera, the accuracy of the expression recognition is improved, and allows the system to avoid invasive body sensors.\n\n