heyBUDDY

'heyBUDDY' is an Alexa skill capable of connecting disabled persons with voluntary and paid assistance providers entirely through voice interaction within the app or using supported devices.

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Inspiration

Globally, around 15% per cent of the population are disabled and most cities are not designed to be accessible, especially in Germany. As a team we loved the idea of using voice based technology to its fullest potential to solve problems faced by physically disabled people, specifically wheelchair users and make a huge impact in their life by making their life a bit easier and creating new social connections.

What can 'heyBUDDY' do?

It connects physically disabled people who need assistance in moving around the city, with volunteers who are ready to assist.

How did we build it?

We completely built it using Alexa Skill Kit (ASK).

Key Challenges

  • Lack of publicly available and reliable data sources, especially for Munich.
  • We were absolute beginners on the ASK and did ran in to some issues, however, we were able to solve most of the problems and come up with a working skill.

Accomplishments

  • We were able to create a people focused solution that builds on societal connections.
  • Bridges the gap between accessible infrastructure and practical accessibility issues.

What did we learn?

Disability is a serious issue across the globe and most countries have an ageing population which worsens the condition. The tools like alexa and natural voice interaction can have a significant impact on the lives of the disabled especially for people on a wheelchair and blind.

What's next for heyBUDDY?

It is currently limited to providing assistance to people in a wheelchair, in future we are looking to scale the app so that it can be used by multiple groups that need accessibility such as the blind, deaf, old, pregnant women, tourist etc. The platform can also be utilized to build or improve the database of accessible pathways, buildings, facilities etc.

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