We’re ready to offer our patented Smart Mobility System to disabled drivers around the nation: Aaron Werner (CEO of Adapy, Inc.) said while interacting with The Silicon Review

“Think of it like home automation, but for the vehicle.”

Adapy, Inc. was founded by CEO Aaron Werner and inspired by military veteran and spinal cord injury survivor Andrew Evans. In 2010, Andrew was deployed to Thumrait Air Force Base in Oman, where he assisted with the transportation of cargo. In 2012, he was deployed to Kyrgyzstan to help facilitate military troops’ movement from all branches to and from the front lines. A few months after completing his second deployment, he was on temporary duty to Alaska, where he encountered an unfortunate accident and fell off a cliff injuring his spinal cord. This event transformed his life and his ambulatory ability. He soon found himself adjusting to life in a wheelchair. These adjustments brought on new challenges, and at times created frustrating situations that left him wondering why in an era of so much technology, had there not been more solutions available for someone with limited mobility.

One, in particular, was the lack of automation for adaptive devices used daily. With so much advancement in automation entering homes, vehicles, etc., the wheelchair industry seemed to lag behind the rest of the world when it came to using smart technology for repetitive tasks. Many times, waiting in the rain or snow or blistering sun for a crane or wheelchair lift to move into position is almost intolerable. How nice it would be to just click a button on a mobile phone from a covered garage or a similar location out of the reach of the harsh weather, and have a vehicle prepare itself for entry before ever wheeling out to it. Such a simple task would almost eliminate exposure to the weather, reducing the risks associated with hot or cold temperatures.

“Spinal card injuries, with an incidence of 17,000 cases per year and a prevalence of 282,000 persons in the U.S., impair autonomic, sensory, and motor pathways, significantly impacting mobility, internal organ function, and metabolic homeostasis.”

A solution for independence

Due to spinal cord injuries, many disabled individuals not only have to deal with limited mobility but must also keep a constant watch on their body temperature and apply methods for dysregulation of body temperature when needed. For a non-injured individual, the body does this automatically, for example, it will sweat when it is hot and shiver when it is cold. Someone that suffers from SCI must combat the weather by dressing appropriately, avoiding harsh conditions such as rain or snow, and decreasing their exposure to heat. Consider the time it takes to change out of wet clothing. For many, it might only take a few minutes, but for someone in a wheelchair it can take up to an hour. If a disabled individual with a spinal cord injury that does not naturally combat temperature dysregulation can end up overheating, leading to sores, and other risky situations. On the complete opposite side, when cold, their muscles can tighten up and lead to additional mobility issues.

This can become a risk factor when driving.

Decreasing the time that it takes to enter and exit the vehicle becomes very important when considering ways to mitigate temperature risks for the disabled. Andrew’s vision of a more automated solution would solve this and would not have been realized if not for a chance encounter with Adapy, Inc. CEO Aaron Werner. 

Aaron’s interest in the concept of automating mobility was pegged specifically on helping Andrew experience a better quality of life. Only after proto-types were developed and ideas proven, Adapy Inc. was born and a commercial application came into discussions. Today, the company is driven by the desire to help those in need. “It is first and foremost on our minds,” said Aaron Werner.

The concept of integration

For wheelchair users, their vehicles need to be properly set up and configured. This might include things like automated doors, transfer seats, cranes or lifts installed, and even toppers added to the truck to protect equipment from the weather. These items are referred to as adaptive equipment.

The Adapy Smart Mobility System will integrate with most adaptive equipment already installed in the vehicle, and create an environment much like a computer network where each of these adaptive devices can be accessed for the implementation of smart controls. 

This is accomplished by the Adapy Smart Hub. Once the Smart Hub is installed in the vehicle, it is paired with the Adapy Mobile App where the user will gain instant access to all the controls associated with his or her adaptive equipment. Much like traditional remotes, they can initiate familiar movement of the devices as the wheelchair user presses the buttons on their smartphone. They can toggle between devices with ease eliminating having to manage multiple remotes. 

The user can access and prepare their vehicle from a safe location free from any rain, snow, or harsh weather conditions. While this is an amazing improvement for someone with disabilities, Adapy does not stop there. Aaron believes that any repetitive task should be automated. Adapy introduced the first smart technology to the industry when they created the ability to custom program scenes within the Adapy mobile app. “Think of it like home automation, but for the vehicle,” said Aaron Werner.

Adapy smart mobility system

Adapy Smart Mobility System comes pre-programmed for each adaptive device installed in the vehicle. The user simply installs the Adapy Smart Hub in their vehicle, and using a special harness provided by Adapy, they can connect their existing adaptive devices. They download the Adapy mobile app and go through a pairing process to connect it to the equipment in their vehicle. The wheelchair user will immediately enjoy full control over their vehicle’s adaptive devices by preparing their vehicle for entry in advance from a climate-controlled home, garage, or building without exposure to the elements. The crane control and seat controls are consolidated onto one device, their mobile phone. Imagine Andrew’s excitement when he plugged in the proto-type of this innovation and for the first time realized his dream of one day being able to control his vehicle’s adaptive equipment from a single user interface.

The CEO said, “Our first order of business was to protect the IP through a utility patent. We received a grant from the Mi Casa Resource Center in Denver, Colorado, and were able to work hand-in-hand with Lowenstein Sandler, LLP, to patent the Smart Mobility System. In May of 2022, we received the official US Patent.”

“We are thrilled that our Smart Mobility System has been patented, and we are ready to offer it to disabled drivers around the nation,” said Aaron. “We are hopeful that millions of disabled people who operate adaptive mobility devices in conjunction with their vehicle will now be able to experience greater freedom and independence and avoid temperatures that can be life-threatening. With our patented device, the user will simply connect the Adapy™ Smart Hub to their adaptive equipment installed in or on their vehicle and pair it with the Adapy mobile app. One app will now do the work of multiple remotes, including automated processes or scenes.”

Further, owing to its creative innovation, Adapy has been recognized with a plethora of awards and accolades. In 2021, it received the ProBoPat Patent Grant Award by Mi Casa Resource Center, Pitch Award (Utah Tech University) from Atwood Innovation Plaza. In 2022, it was recognized as ‘Startup of the Year’ and was the Globee Award winner. The company also received its second patent ProBoPat Patent Grant Award from the Mi Casa Resource Center. Moreover, Adapy has been endorsed by ManaMed, Inc., which specializes in durable medical equipment, as well as Marc Andrus RRT, MBA, a surveyor for the Joint Commission. The company’s technology has also been reviewed by the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).

“Our first order of business was to protect the IP through a utility patent. We received a grant from the Mi Casa Resource Center in Denver, Colorado, and were able to work hand-in-hand with Lowenstein Sandler, LLP, to patent the Smart Mobility System. In May of 2022, we received the official US Patent.”