The Design, Development, Characterization, and Validation of a Pathway Measurement Tool (PathMeT)

[摘要] Over 3.6 million people in the United States use a wheelchair for their primary means of mobility, and they rely on functional and accessible pathways to participate in their communities. These wheelchair users are often exposed to dangerous conditions, including vibrations, as they traverse pedestrian pathways.Ambulatory pedestrians also face health risks; approximately one-third of adults 65 or older fall each year, over half of which occur outdoors.Consequently, improving pedestrian pathways is an important task, and this paper describes the development of a tool, referred to as Pathway Measurement Tool (PathMeT), that characterizes pedestrian pathways according to the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines.The design goals for the product were to develop a user-friendly device that accurately measures slope, level change, and roughness along pedestrian pathways, while gathering pictures and GPS location.Data collection occurred at multiple locations around the United States.Reliability testing was performed to assess the repeatability of PathMeT. Results show that PathMeT is capable of measuring pathway roughness accurately while identifying hazardous level changes.This information can then be uploaded into Geographic Information Systems.Although inclination data was collected, additional development and filtering must occur to record more accurate data to indicate slope.PathMeT has shown to be a reliable device in identifying rough pathways and potential tripping hazards.Many stakeholders believe that PathMeT has great market potential to assist in the planning and reconstruction of pedestrian pathways.

[发布机构] the University of Pittsburgh