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VIDBE-Q Volume 63 Issue 4
PedPal: Connecting Pedestrians with Disabilities to Adaptive
Signal Control for Safe Intersection Crossing
Stephen F. Smith, Ph.D.
Research Professor
Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
sfs@cs.cmu.edu
Transportation and mobility are crucial for living today. However, for people with
disabilities (mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive), inadequate transportation can
hinder them from living a full life. The work described in this article is part of a larger
nationwide effort that aims at improving the mobility of travelers with disabilities through
research, development, and implementation of transformative technologies,
applications, or systems for people of all abilities to effectively plan their personal and
independent travel. This research agenda focuses on the needs of three stakeholder
groups: persons with disabilities, older adults, and veterans with disabilities.
Background
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT)'s Accessible
Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) is a joint USDOT initiative, co-
led by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), and the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO), with
support from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDILRR), and other federal partners. The ATTRI Program is investing in
innovation efforts to develop and implement transformative applications that improve
