Accessibility in Autonomous Mobility: DLR's Flexible Modular U-Shift Capsules at SCCON 2024
At the Smart Country Convention (SCCON) 2024 , held from October 15–17 in Berlin, over 18,000 participants gathered to explore digital innovation in the public sector. With more than 650 speakers, 900 sessions, and 70 workshops, the SCCON served as the central platform for showcasing cutting-edge solutions in e-government, smart cities, and smart regions. Klaus-Peter Wegge and Reyhan Cinar from the Siemens Accessibility Competence Center were on-site to explore the latest developments in ICT accessibility. Unexpectedly, amidst an ICT-focused exhibition, they discovered the U-Shift , an autonomous, modular, driverless vehicle concept developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), designed to revolutionize public transport and cargo.
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The U-Shift , with its modular design, combines a Driveboard (the autonomous driving module) and interchangeable capsules, making it highly adaptable for different use cases, including barrier-free passenger transport. The Driveboard has an integrated lifting system for the quick and easy replacement of different types of capsules. The capsules are changed 'on the road', that is during operation, to enable new transport and mobility services. The team from Siemens took a closer look at the vehicle’s accessibility features, such as its low floors, wide entryways, and customizable interior options tailored to wheelchair users.
Through its capsule concept, the U-Shift allows for flexible adaptation to the needs of people with disabilities by designing specialized capsules. For example, capsules can be tailored to transport heavy electric wheelchairs, ensuring that these users are not left behind. Another key advantage of the capsule system is its extremely low entry height when unloaded. This means that wheelchair users only require a short ramp to board, significantly improving accessibility and ease of use.