Sidewalk Mobility and Safety: Accessible Cam

The Evansville, IN Accessible Cam project is a new initiative through Circular Venture Lab designed to bring awareness to critical sidewalk accessibility issues throughout the city.

Accessible Cam provides a comprehensive, street-level view of the challenges faced by pedestrians using mobility devices (wheelchairs and walkers), people using strollers, and others navigating Evansville sidewalks and paths. It also highlights areas of the region, including neighborhoods and parks, that are most accessible for residents and visitors.

The Technology on the Ground

Accessible Cam, led by Cameron "Cam" Jenkins, uses a specially outfitted stroller to capture the reality of the city's sidewalks. The stroller is mounted with two 360-degree cameras to help visualize a complete view of the path and surroundings, and a high-definition microphone to record ambient noise.

Cam walks the equipped stroller along city streets and paths, with the cameras catching common and potentially dangerous obstructions pedestrians may face. These include scooters blocking the curb cuts, broken or uneven pavement sections, potholes, and even cars partially parked on sidewalks. Simultaneously, the microphone captures ambient vehicle noise and construction sounds, sometimes at potentially dangerous decibel levels.

Bringing the Streets to Life with VR

Once a section of the city is captured, the video and sound footage are edited and uploaded to a virtual reality (VR) software system. Then, after putting on a VR headset, users can step into a fully immersive, 3D map of the recorded areas. This unique experience allows residents, city employees, and advocates for safer streets to better understand the challenges that a person with a disability, an elderly person, or a new mother pushing a stroller might face while simply trying to walk the city streets.

Endless Possibilities

The Accessible Cam project has identified areas for growth and expansion through partnerships and collaborations with multiple organizations across the region. Circular Venture Lab, who has been awarded multiple recent grants and prizes in partnership with the University of Evansville, sees opportunities to work with interdisciplinary students and faculty across campus as part of a larger collaboration with the city. There will even be opportunities to work with students, teachers, and residents located in UE’s Evansville Promise Neighborhood. The team will consistently share and report its findings with city officials and other stakeholders as the mapping continues.

You can expect to see the camera-equipped stroller on the streets of Evansville starting in early 2026. The Accessible Cam website and social channels will be live and active by the end of this year. For additional details and partnership opportunities, please contact Circular Venture Lab.