Arrow develops solutions for people with reduced mobility

Arrow Electronics announces a new Data Analytics and Network Innovation Project (DANI Project). The project helps improve the lives of wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility. Arrow presented the project at ChangeNOW, a three-day international summit in Paris (May 19-21) where visionaries and innovators showcase solutions to protect the planet and make life more sustainable.

At the heart of the DANI project is 28-year-old wheelchair tennis player Danny Kaverzashi (pictured), who was born without most of his right leg and with multiple deformities in his left leg. Danny will compete on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) wheelchair tennis tour and will compete for the first time in this year’s second Grand Slam event, Roland Garros, from May 31 to June 4. He was also part of the Spanish national team that finished second in the World Cup for the second time in a row in May in Vilamoura, Portugal.

I developed two solutions

Arrow and Dani are collaborating on two technology solutions to improve the lives of wheelchair users and people with disabilities:

• ‘WheelWay’ – a navigation system designed for anyone with a mobility impairment, helping to solve problems related to getting around in cities.
• “DataRally” – collects real-time data from sensors on a wheelchair, equipment and an athlete’s body. This allows the athlete to analyze, refine and improve competition performance.

The two initiatives demonstrate new ways of approaching mobility in an integrated way. They use new technologies that combine advanced hardware and software, cloud engineering and analytics to collect and analyze data. The data is specifically relevant to the needs of people in wheelchairs or with limited mobility.

Focus on the possibilities

WheelWay focuses on what’s possible rather than obstacles, so wheelchair users can plan trips and discover the city around them. Route Instruction combines live data from a smart GPS and public open cloud services to provide real-time, wheelchair-friendly route information.

The second initiative, DataRally, is designed for professional wheelchair athletes to improve their performance and gain a competitive advantage. Until now, Danny Kaverzashi has had to rely on feeling and intuition to analyze his playing style. Using sensors in his wheelchair, a tennis racket and a wearable on his wrist, Danny and his coach can now collect and analyze real-time data from every match and training using DataRally. And identify exactly which parts of his game he needs to work on.

The technology can be customized to measure speed, acceleration, distance traveled, impacts, stroke count, heart rate, serving speed, racket position and more.

Make informed decisions

“These solutions don’t take control, and they don’t make me more dependent,” says Caverzaschi, who aims to normalize disabilities. “I generate data, which is then analyzed. The information is then returned to me, through applications, allowing me to make informed decisions. I decide where to go and what to do. I decide how to adapt to the job. It gives me more choices; more freedom and possibilities. “.

DANI is an edge computing project that brings computing and data storage closer to the data source – in this case Dani. Each technology was developed by members of the Arrow’s Graduate Program. Young employees, like Danny, are digital natives in their twenties.