Xogo Accessibility Platform for PwD

Xogo is addressing the digital divide facing people with disabilities (PwD) by providing a scalable and adaptive open platform which enables users of all abilities to connect to consumer technology in ways suited to their personal needs. The goal is to empower PwD by giving them the tools to be independent, connect with others, seek and retain education and employment, and contribute to society both economically and socially.

By creating an interface that allows people with disabilities to use all forms of technology in a way that works for them, it provides not only access to technology, but access to other people. Access to technology - in our tech-dominated age - means access to employment, relationships, and community. It builds bridges for the one billion people worldwide with disabilities who are often isolated.

For people with disabilities (PwD), access to mainstream technology often lags years or decades behind their non-disabled peers. In the US alone, there are over 13 million Americans who rely on assistive technology daily and 66% of those individuals reported that their devices aided them in securing employment. These individuals are often unable to use PCs, smartphones, or other consumer technology without the presence of assistive technology to bridge the gap. On a global scale, the World Health Organization estimates that over 1 billion people would benefit from assistive products and this population is projected to rise above 2 billion by 2050.

But, the assistive technology market is highly fragmented, composed of many disparate players each targeting a small niche of users or a single segment of care while offering limited solutions at a very high price point. Xogo addresses this by integrating assistive devices with general consumer technology in a unified platform, and by creating an interface that allows PwD to easily configure their devices to suit their needs. Greater access to technology increases social engagement, employment, and quality of life for PwD, allowing for more independent living while taking full advantage of mainstream technology.

Xogo is a hardware box and open software platform that allows users with disabilities to connect both standard and assistive devices to off-the-shelf consumer technology through an intuitive and powerful configuration app.

Xogo allows a user with a disability to connect whatever device they would like to use - Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, or the 3.5mm jack that many assistive switches use. From there, the software inside Xogo allows users to control any and all consumer devices around them. So in the home, this means users with disabilities can now play video games against their friends using a wheelchair joystick, and those same wheelchair controls work for the lights, front door, thermostat, and more. This is a level of independence that goes well beyond what is available now, and in the office this means users with disabilities can fill positions that were previously inaccessible.

You can see a video of how our solution works with products like Comcast’s X1 platform at this link: https://myxogo.com/demo

The communities we serve are worldwide. An estimated 1 billion people, roughly 15% of the world population, live with long-term or residual disabilities, yet these people are underserved and continue to face barriers that limit their access and inclusion in society. In the US, people with disabilities face disproportionate unemployment which often leads to isolation and poverty. The Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities mandates access to quality and affordable assistive devices, yet only 10% of the people in need report having proper equipment. Universal access to assistive products is essential because it promotes inclusive sustainable development and creates great strides in human rights.

For people with disabilities (PwD), the digital age represents both a tremendous opportunity and a considerable challenge. While technology presents opportunities for improved communication, educational resources, and professional activities, the benefits have been unequally distributed. PwD are over four times less likely to complete higher education, nearly ten times as likely to be unemployed, and nearly three times as likely to face persistent poverty. Indeed, while socioeconomic barriers for accessing digital devices are decreasing in the general population, this relationship does not hold true with PwD.

When we think about how marginalized populations access and create good jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities, the first thought that comes to mind is the technology that has now become universally required to start and grow a business. From accessing desktop spreadsheets and smartphone banking, to activating and controlling webcams for video conferencing, as well as the ability to control the lights and doors at your business location; people with disabilities are often at a disadvantage when their disability affects the ability to control these necessities.

Our solution equips workers with the technology to stay apace in this tech dominated age.

We have formed key partnerships with corporations and NGO's including Comcast, Liberty Global, the National Science Foundation, 13 rehab centers and hospitals, and many non-profit organizations. As part of this, we have undertaken two market research studies, conducted pilot tests with six research institutions, and completed a pilot test with Comcast to connect users with disabilities to their Xfinity X1 cable platform.

Our innovation is a system for end user programming (EUP) for IoT applications, which enables end users (non-programmers) to modify, control, and automate their devices and services. Our approach promises to give users control over home devices using whatever methods of input the user desires, including physical input devices. This is particularly impactful for people with disabilities (PwD), who are often excluded because of a lack of suitable control options.

For IoT applications, offerings for PwD are severely lacking. IoT platforms such as Samsung’s SmartThings and Amazon’s Alexa have very limited to no support for configuring physical input devices, such as wheelchair joysticks and other assistive devices. Voice assistants such as Alexa are becoming a compelling assistive technology tool, opening more options for access for people with physical disabilities. However, while voice excels in some scenarios, it is also limited in others. For instance, voice is not well-suited to real-time or continuous control of outputs, such as drones, photo-editing programs, or video games. It is also not well-suited to noise or privacy constraints and is not an option for users with speech limitations. Our approach treats voice as one of many input options for users as opposed to an exclusive means of access, thus differentiating us from voice-driven platforms such as Alexa and Google Home.

Our innovation is a system for end user programming (EUP) for Internet of Things (IoT) applications, which will allow end users (non-programmers) to modify, control, and automate their devices and services. The architecture promises to give users control over home devices via whichever input methods the user desires, including physical input devices. The novelty of the system lies in the degree of customizability it supports while remaining intuitive and accessible to non-programmers.

The wide variety of individualized control schemes needed to support our broad range of accessibility use cases means that in order to avoid a monumental backlog of user support tickets, end users must be enabled to develop their own device control schemes. EUD is an ambitious vision that has driven much R&D work since the 1960s. Ink & Switch, a research lab inspired by paradigm-altering R&D initiatives like Bell Labs and Xerox PARC, summarizes the broader challenge as such: “Today’s software apps are like appliances: we can only use the capabilities exactly as programmed by the developer. What if we, and all computer users, could reach in and modify our favorite apps? Or even create new apps on the fly according to our needs in the moment?”. In our case, user modifications required for accessibility can include the features necessary to blur the line between a configuration tool and a programming tool.

We have heard some great feedback about Xogo, and our favorite comments came from users like Amelia who was able to play Xbox with her brother for the first time. After using Xogo, she said “Xogo really just helps break down barriers which is really, really awesome. We can play with each other, but we can also go against each other which will be cool.” And a mom that we worked closely with who sent an email that said “We had a great time! So grateful to you and Dalton for creating Xogo and making real life more accessible. Forever grateful. Thanks for helping Isaiah become more independent." This is why we do what we do, but we also have received positive comments from the developers and therapists who will be using Xogo to help people with disabilities.

During our Phase I SBIR grant with the National Science Foundation we engaged with over 135 PwD, parents, therapists, and developers, and identified and solved key design challenges holding back the assistive technology market, resulting in the design of a complete product ecosystem to enable users to connect and configure devices that were not designed to work together. This included 14 remote pilot testing sessions and two in-home user feedback sessions.

We conducted surveys to identify users’ physical limitations and assistive device requirements and then successfully implemented Xogo compatibility for each of these devices and verified that they worked with the system. Additionally, we interviewed Magee staff for feedback about how Xogo would integrate into patient life, and received several helpful suggestions and positive feedback, including a recreation therapy supervisor who said, “(Xogo) gives people with disabilities the opportunity to have more independence while at home – this is an amazing product.”

Typical IoT platforms such as Amazon’s Alexa have very limited to no support for configuring physical input devices, such as wheelchair joysticks and other assistive devices, but the main privacy risk is from voice assistants such as Alexa. These are becoming a compelling assistive technology tool, opening more options for access for people with physical disabilities. However, while voice excels in some scenarios, it is also limited in others. For instance, voice is not well-suited to real-time or continuous control of outputs, such as drones, photo-editing programs, or video games. It is also not well-suited to noise or privacy constraints and is not an option for users with speech limitations. Our approach treats voice as one of many input options for users as opposed to an exclusive means of access and includes on device processing which enhances privacy and differentiates us from voice-driven platforms such as Alexa and Google Home.

• Currently: 500 people
• One Year: 2,500 people
• Five Years: 250,000+ people

By creating an interface that allows people with disabilities to use any and all forms of technology in a way that works for them, everyone can have not only access to technology, but access to other people. Access to technology - in our tech-dominated age - means access to people, relationships, and community. It builds bridges for people who are often isolated. The broader impact of this will be to increase social engagement, employment, quality of life, and participation in society at large for PwD, allowing them to live more independently and take full advantage of mainstream technology. One future group that particularly stands to benefit from the streamlined design of the platform is older adults, who represent an increasing share of the technology market. Bansen Labs also aims to use accessibility as a design constraint to create better interfaces and more control options for users in general, thus improving the quality of life for the average US consumer.

We are using the B Impact Assessment (BIA) which is a free, confidential platform designed to measure and manage positive impact on our workers, community, customers and environment. This assessment was developed by B Lab, who is a non-profit organization dedicated to using the power of business as a force for good. We chose this because it's a good option for a for-profit B Corp to measure the social impact of our organization holistically.

• Full time employees: 2
• Contractors: 7

Dalton Banks is the co-founder and Chief of Product and is an experienced engineer who holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering and an MS in Robotics from the University of Pennsylvania. His engineering skillset was bolstered by industry experience at Siemens Healthcare, where he developed a testing infrastructure for a robotic clinical diagnostics platform. He also gained clinical research experience through his work at the Penn Medicine Rehab Robotics Lab (Penn GRASP Lab). In addition, Dalton has a deep appreciation for the pain points of our users. Growing up close to someone with a disability, Dalton was exposed to the everyday challenges of living with a disability, and while training as an engineer he grew passionate about using technology to improve physical ability and independence. He has since been responsible for all aspects of Xogo’s software and design, and wrote the patent assigned to Bansen Labs for the novel architecture behind the Xogo ecosystem.

Ray Abel is the co-founder and CEO at Bansen Labs. He is an experienced leader, successful entrepreneur, and skilled project manager whose knowledge and familiarity with our target market is bolstered by his experience as a program coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He has cultivated relationships with many rehabilitation centers, NGO’s, and hospitals in support of the community of PwD. These relationships are essential to understanding our users during the design thinking process and will also have a direct impact on our sustainability.

Our mission is to create technology that allows people of all abilities to interact with the world on their own terms. As such, we know that diverse and inclusive teams have a positive impact on our products and services, and help us better serve individuals, families, and businesses who need to increase access to technology. The hiring of a diverse staff, including people with disabilities, helps us grow in our understanding and support of the people we exist to serve. Inclusion is how we unleash the power of diversity.

We believe that the mentorship and strategic advice will be invaluable to us as we move from our pilot version to a viable product. The impact of this mentorship can not be understated. Also, the funding from the program will help us to stay focused on our mission and continue hiring the right team to see our vision come to fruition.

We believe that ServiceNow has the ability to provide technical management support that will be invaluable as we launch our platform to users with disabilities and the businesses that support them. Additionally, we have been very impressed with their cybersecurity solutions, and would love to partner with them to secure our platform and users.