Tappy Guide

Tappy Guide is a smart mobility and transportation solution for people with disabilities and seniors. We help the blind and low vision, deaf and hard of hearing, wheelchair users and senior citizens navigate in unfamiliar areas and situations. Our tech and solution is designed to help improve the quality of life for those who are in need of extra support.

2021 we partnered up with the City of Austin, TX and Ford Motor Company to help the entire city become more accessible for it's residents with disabilities.
https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2020/01/21/austin-announces-winners-of-city-one-challenge.html

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/tappy-app-aims-to-help-those-with-disabilities-needs-virtual-assistants/

Our current pilots:
-We are working with the State of Michigan, Bosch Automotive, Bedrock Mobility and Arrive at the Detroit Smart Parking lab to create a solution that helps accessible parking become smarter.
https://www.michiganbusiness.org/press-releases/2022/03/state-of-michigan-announces-grants-to-create-a-more-accessible-and-electrified-mobility-future-in-michigan/

-Tappy Guide was selected to the Plug and Play Batch 4 program. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7062472643836350464/

-Tappy Guide was selected to the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance and Innosphere Ventures to launch a pilot in the City of Denver and it's transit systems
https://news.ucdenver.edu/smart-futures-lab-program/


Tappy Guide is solving the first / last mile mobility problem for people with disabilities and seniors. Cities, Transportation companies and Automotive companies lack accessible technology, making it very difficult for their services to be utilized to their full capabilities. Tappy Guide fills those gaps by helping our users navigate cities and transit systems in unfamiliar areas and situations.

The solution uses a call center, live video feed and GPS data to allow the fullest service available using today’s technology. The user opens the Tappy Guide app and places a video call to the call center where the call is answered by a live advisor. The Tappy Guide advisor has the ability to view the user’s GPS location and live video stream. Utilizing these 2 data sets, our live advisors will be able to help users navigate and identify key points of interest.

Tappy Guide Features:

Helping Blind and Low Vision identify and locate:
-Vehicle Identification – AVs, Ride-Share platforms, Public/Private Transportation
-Intersections and Signal timing
-Bus stops
-Building entrances
-Safe sidewalks, etc.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing:
-Safely navigate around unfamiliar surroundings
-Communicate with other individuals in their area
-Notify them of environment sounds (i.e. emergency sirens, car horns).

Wheelchair Users:
-Accessible parking spots
-Accessible parking structures
-Accessible parking lots
-Can determine if parking spaces are available (Bosch Automotive partnership).
-Accessible sidewalks/curbs to access vehicles

Realtime Information while riders are in transit:
-Where am I currently?
-How far am I from my destination?
-Why is there traffic?
-Help locate nearby accessible businesses such as restaurants, bars, office buildings, etc.

Indoor Wayfinding:
Indoor navigation at participating businesses such as grocery stores, shopping malls, sporting/concert venues, museums, universities, airports, hospitals, etc

Making accessible parking smarter:
We're currently working with Bosch Automotive and Arrive Parking at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab to help accessible parking become smarter.
Example:
My sister is blind. Her and I plan on attending a concert at the Little Caesars Arena in Downtown Detroit. I will require accessible parking. The Tappy Guide app will be able to identify the nearest available accessible parking space to the venue and I will be able to reserve the space. In addition to standard vehicle accessible parking spaces, wheelchair users who require van accessible parking will be able to identify if the accessible parking space is van accessible.

-Working with Public and Private transportation companies helping pairing riders with drivers, ie:
--The bus driver is searching for their rider's location
--The rider is looking for their bus, uber driver, autonomous vehicle, etc
--Helping non-emergency medical transportation

-Automotive HMI design to enhance the in-vehicle user experience for people with disabilities
-Automotive telematics design to provide users with real-time vehicle data and location
-Automotive in-vehicle driver alerts at intersections when a person with a disability is in the area or at a crosswalk.