Lifecycle-reconfigurable Smart Mobility Platform to enable autonomous and cost-effective personalized solutions for social inclusion of disabled and elderly while leveraging AM technologies.

H2020-IND-CE-2016-17 – Industry 2020 in the Circular Economy

Cover photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash

People with disabilities (developing, acquiring or temporary) must often deal with limiting situations or with various types of barriers (architectural, cultural, mental, etc.) that do not facilitate their autonomy, self-determination, and social participation. Conditions that would be possible if “subject-environment contingencies” (personal factors and environmental factors) did not affect or preclude their ability to self-consideration, involvement or action.

The current lack of environmental accessibility faced by people with disabilities, in particular in many cities in the world, represents both a major challenge and a strategic opportunity to promote an accessible and inclusive urban agenda.

FreeWheel project conjugates the smart mobility strategies for the sake of people with disabilities and elderlies to autonomously and happily live their lives in urban contexts. The FreeWheel solution consists of a unit integrating a “smart active” autonomous module, multiple custom interfaces and a smartphone app.

FreeWheel main objectives

Facilitate social inclusion of people with disabilities and elderlies by developing a smart mobility platform based on a revolutionary autonomous vehicle to ease individual mobility in the urban environment.

Satisfy the need for customization by implementing a modular reconfigurable concept based on standard low-cost modules and on ultra-customized interfaces to be produced by additive manufacturing.

Make affordable the lifecycle cost of the mobility product by implementing a business model that offers mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) and by designing a circular ecosystem for extending the product value over time.

SOLUTIONS WILL BE TESTED WITH

FreeWheel in The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets a new and encouraging phase in the area of people with disability and elderlies. The Agenda is built on the principle of leaving no one behind, clearly promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

FreeWheel is directly targeting the following SDGs:

Guaranteeing equal and accessible education by building inclusive learning environments and providing the needed assistance for persons with disabilities.

Promoting inclusive economic growth, full and productive employment by allowing persons with disabilities to fully access the job market.

Building resilient infrastructure and promoting an inclusive and sustainable industrialization to foster innovation.

Empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of people with disabilities

Providing access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, with particular attention to the needs of persons with disabilities and older persons.

Underlining the importance of data collection and monitoring of the SDGs, with emphasis on disability disaggregated data.

We are also leveraging on multiple cross-links between the SDGs and UN’s “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)” subscribed by most of EU Countries. The SDG’s goal #9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure is connected with the following two articles from the CRPD: Article 10 Right to life; Article 20 Personal mobility. With the means for person with disability: to develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and trans-border infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.

The SDG’s goal #11 Sustainable Cities is connected with CRPD: Article 9 Accessibility; Article 19 Living independently and being included in the community; Article 28 Adequate standard of living and social protection; Article 30 Participate in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport. With the means for the person with a disability: to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.

PROJECT CONSORTIUM