An Accessible Model House for Demonstrating an Independent

Living Environment
Alexis Welch, Ahmaad Randall, Amy Harmon Ying Sun, Ph.D.
Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881;
http://www.ele.uri.edu/courses/bme484/2017/00_NEBEC_all_papers.pdf

Abstract​—This model house demonstrates how a standard dimensions being a 10.60in-length by 1.24in-width with a
home can be made accessible for persons with disabilities . Using slanted roof causing the height to range from 9.20in to
a 16 to 1 scale, the model demonstrates several modern 11.50in. The garage door exists 3.00in from each edge of the
technologies that provide means for independent living for
garage and it has the dimensions of 8.00in-length by
individuals with various disabilities. The overall goal is to offer
examples of options for those with disabilities to see how they can 5.00in-width. Inside the house there is a staircase with the
improve their overall quality of life in their home that may or dimensions 10.50in-length by 3.500in-width by 7.85in-height.
may not have originally been built to be handicap accessible. The layout and dimensions of the house are represented in
Figure 1.
I. INTRODUCTION
In the United States, the portion of the population
experiencing some type of disability is a growing ratio which
increases with age [1]. This is becoming a problem because
the ageing of the population will bring with it the need for
continuous and substantial increase in the supply of home
care, leading to an expected increased shortage of nurses and
other caregiving personnel [3]. Therefore, there is need to
increase the use of assistive devices (ADs) as their substitutes.
However, an important gap regarding the awareness of ADs
has been identified, despite their widespread usefulness and
commercial availability [3].
Some methods to increase awareness of ADs and
willingness to use them have been tested, revealing that the Fig.1
decision-making process of choosing an AD involves more
A. HARDWARE
factors than the function status alone of the individual[2]. This
project aims to develop a representation of ADs using a The prototype hardware configuration consists of a
method that falls in between the pictorial and exemplary portable 5V battery for a power source, a PIC184F525
methods providing a realistic example in the form of a microprocessor, a RN-42 Bluetooth, an H-bridge, a three-volt
scaled-down 3-dimensional (3D) model. The intended effect is DC motor, two snap action switches as sensors, and a pulley
to give better insight as to what a home could look like after system designed through SolidWorks. The motor is placed on
being adapted to an individual’s specific needs and the bottom left corner of the back of the house in a 3D-printed
preferences with various ADs. While the success of this housing unit 35.80mm-length by 12.26mm-width by
method still needs to be tested, the prototype model house 9.96mm-height. In addition, pulley components were
aims to initiate its further implementation in the orientation of 3D-printed using SolidWorks. These assemblies are shown in
ADs to the disabled population. Figure 2, with the sensor housing unit on the left, the wheel in
the middle and the pin for the wheel on the right.
II. METHODS
A. Architecture
The model is a two-story house built on a 16:1 scale
with an open front-facing side to display the interior. The
house as a whole has the dimensions 2.50ft-length by
1.67ft-width by 1.90ft-height. The lower level features one
room with dimensions 17.30in-length by 15.40-in width by Fig.2
7.90in-height while the upper level features one room with the
same height and width as the lower level room but with a
height of 7.85in. In addition, there is a garage with the

XXX-X-XXXX-XXXX-X/XX/$XX.00 ©20XX IEEE

 B. SOFTWARE
The design of our application started with a
significant amount of coding. We implemented C++ coding
through the microchip software program, MPLab. The team
started by programming several different ports on the PIC
microcontroller. To communicate with the bluetooth, the PIC
needs to effectively speak to three other components: the
bluetooth, the motor, and the lights. The Bluetooth signal
communicates with an app created on an Android tablet
named ModelHouse. This app was designed on Android
Studio by linking the functions sent from the PIC to the action
buttons on the menu bar.
III. RESULTS
The motor is placed on the bottom left corner of the
back of the house in a 3D-printed housing unit
35.80mm-length by 12.26mm-width by 9.96mm-height.​ ​The
two sensor are placed 10.50in apart on the back of the house
so that when the wheelchair lift reaches the top of the
staircase, the bottom sensor is activated to stop the lift and
when the lift returns to the bottom of the staircase, the top
sensor is activated to stop the lift. The breadboard with all of
the circuit components other than the sensors and motor is
placed vertically upright on the back of the house next to the
motor gear so that electrical connections are as short as
possible . This location allows for the sensors for the lift as
well as the connections to the lights in the house to be
soldered onto their corresponding circuits on the breadboard.
A wheel is held by a pin, both 3D-printed, underneath the exit
point of the wheelchair lift string on the top left corner of the
back of the house to provide leverage while the string is being
pulled by the motor. The flowchart for the entire system is
shown in Figure 3.
IV. DISCUSSION
Using this product is extremely beneficial to those
who need it. There were several things added to the
breadboard to ensure the longevity of the product and more
importantly the safety of the user. For example, the bluetooth
is mounted on our breadboard in case the power were to go
out and users can’t access the internet. If the bluetooth weren’t
there, this limitation would confine them to the upstairs or
downstairs. They can use the app to turn on the lights, go up
and down the wheelchair lift and there’s also the option to use
both of these manually. This gives all control to the user and
ensures their safety. Overall, the model house prototype
exemplifies a tool that can be used to raise awareness of the
options of ADs available to disabled individuals and increase
willingness to use ADs, ultimately increasing the overall use
of ADs in the United States.
[1] Sellers, D., & Markham, M. (2012). Raising awareness of assistive
technology in older adults through a community-based, cooperative
extension program. ​Gerontology & Geriatrics Education.,​ ​33​(3),
287-301.
[2] Roelands, M., Van Oost, P., Stevens, V., Depoorter, A., & Buysse, A.
(2004). Clinical practice guidelines to improve shared decision-making
about assistive device use in home care: A pilot intervention study.
Patient Education and Counseling.,​ ​55​(2), 252-264.
[3] Roelands, M., Van Oost, P., Buysse, A., & Depoorter, A. (n.d.).
Awareness among community-dwelling elderly of assistive devices for
mobility and self-care and attitudes towards their use. ​Social Science &
Medicine.,​ ​54​(9), 1441-1451.
[4] Courtney, K., Demiris, G., Rantz, M., & Skubic, M. (2008). Needing
smart home technologies: The perspectives of older adults in continuing
care retirement communities. ​Informatics in Primary Care.,​ ​16​(3),
195-201.
[5] De Jonge, D., Aplin, T., Larkin, S., & Ainsworth, E. (2016). The
aesthetic appeal of assistive technology and the economic value baby
boomers place on it: A pilot study. ​Australian Occupational Therapy
Journal.,​ ​63​(6), 415-423.
[6] Aplin, T., De Jonge, D., & Gustafsson, L. (n.d.). Understanding the
dimensions of home that impact on home modification decision making.
Australian Occupational Therapy Journal.,​ ​60​(2), 101-109.
[7] Dudgeon, B., Hoffman, J., Ciol, M., Shumway-Cook, A., Yorkston, K.,
& Chan, L. (n.d.). Managing activity difficulties at home: A survey of
Medicare beneficiaries. ​Archives of Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation.,​ ​89​(7), 1256-1261.
[8] Louise-Bender, P., Kim, J., & Weiner, B. (n.d.). The shaping of
individual meanings assigned to assistive technology: A review of
personal factors. ​Disabil Rehabil,​ ​24​(1-3), 5-20.
[9] He W, Sengupta M, Velkoff VA, DeBarros KA; U.S. Census Bureau.
Current population reports, P23-209: 65 in the United States: 2005.
Washington (DC): U.S. Government Printing Office; 2005.