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What is ATTRI?

PURPOSE

The Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) focuses on research to improve the mobility of travelers with disabilities through the use of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and other advanced technologies. ATTRI aims to work cooperatively with research partners to leverage technologies and innovations from Federal ITS and related disability research and development activities to improve accessible transportation for travelers with disabilities, and extend these benefits to all travelers.

The ATTRI program leads the research, development, and implementation of transformative solutions, applications, or systems for all people, including those with disabilities, to effectively plan their travel. ATTRI will enhance the capability of these travelers to reliably, safely, and independently execute their travel plans. ATTRI leverages recent advances in vehicle, infrastructure, and pedestrian-based technologies, as well as accessible data, mobile computing, robotics, artificial intelligence, object detection, and navigation. The technology is enabled by wireless communications that connects travelers, their mobile devices, vehicles, and the infrastructure. These technologies can provide near-ubiquitous access to a wealth of real-time situational data sources, including transportation, municipal, points of interest, crowd sourced, and accessibility data.

USER GROUPS

Image depicts ATTRI's three targeted populations: persons with disabilities, older adults, and veterans with disabilities. The image also depicts the four targeted types of disabilities: vision, mobility, hearing, and cognition. ATTRI will identify, develop and deploy new transformative applications or systems, along with the supporting policies and institutional guidance to address the mobility challenges of travelers with disabilities.

ATTRI research focuses on the needs of three stakeholder groups: people with disabilities, veterans, and older adults. ATTRI will develop technological solutions to remove barriers to transportation according to four functional disabilities: visual, hearing, cognitive and mobility.

COLLABORATION

ATTRI is a USDOT joint research and development initiative co-led by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) with support from ITS Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) and other Federal agencies. The USDOT recognizes the interdisciplinary nature of accessible transportation research and actively seeks opportunities to leverage resources, accomplishments and knowledge advances both within USDOT as well as across Federal agencies. ATTRI has established collaborations with key federal partners and other organizations to explore formation of an accessible transportation network that is far more economical, expansive and welcoming, something that is of increasing importance not only to travelers with disabilities, but to all travelers in the United States.

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

Image depicts a person using a wide, well-marked crosswalk riding their personal mobility device and using a smart phone to communicate their crossing need to pedestrian crossing signs automatically. ATTRI solutions will leverage advances in vehicle and infrastructure-based technologies, automation, robotics, and wireless communication. USDOT research in the program areas of Vehicle Automation, Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I), Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P), Veterans Transportation Community Living Initiative (VTCLI), and Mobility Services for All Americans (MSAA) along with emerging research and other technological innovations, such as assistive robots and crowdsourcing, could all be possible areas that would help produce seamless transportation capability for all citizens in general, and for travelers with disabilities in particular. Five (5) technology areas have emerged as potential ATTRI focus areas to improve transportation for people with disabilities: wayfinding and navigation, assistive technologies, automation and robotics, data integration, and enhanced human service transportation.

ATTRI APPROACH

Image illustrates the three phases of ATTRI's approach: exploratory and user needs research, innovation and prototyping, and demonstration. The execution of ATTRI is being carried out in three (3) phases spanning over 6 years: Exploratory and User Needs Research Phase, Innovation, Prototype Development and Testing Phase, and Demonstration Phase.

The ATTRI program aims to maximize benefits from coordinated Federal investment, national and international research, recent technology innovations, and traveler-focused solutions to solve door-to-door accessible transportation issues for persons with disabilities, including veterans and older adults.

For More Information

Mohammed Yousuf, Federal Highway Administration, Mohammed.Yousuf@dot.gov

Jeffrey Spencer, Federal Transit Administration, Jeffrey.Spencer@dot.gov