Daytripper

Ride-sharing service that promotes social networking for the elderly

Problem
Going to life-enriching activities like football matches, theater shows, restaurants etc. become a distant reality for many elders due to isolation and a lack of good transit options. Most of the existing transit options are not senior-friendly. Problems include:

• difficulty scheduling rides
• limited availability of services
• lack of flexibility in fixed routes
• paying for costs of transportation
• communication with drivers
• lack of company

Concept
We attempt to design a ride-sharing service that promotes 'mobile social networks' for the seniors. This service allows the elderly to subscribe to ride-share pools with a voluntary driver. A smart keychain with the riders and volunteers help them make new friends on-the-go, get pool notifications and reminders, and also keep track of their credits and karma. This cost-effective keychain also helps voluntary transit organizations to extend their service to more people by spreading the word of mouth, and also to provide more effective rides by pool-management.

Process
Worked in a team of three to conduct contextual inquires at the local elder care locations, and focus groups were conducted among low-income and high-income elder couples. We generated various design concepts based on the research synthesis. We used paper, flash and a proof-of-concept physical prototype to evaluate the design concepts at various stages. Finally, we storyboarded and prepared a 5 min video to demonstrate the scenarios of use and the design concept.

Team
Nikhil Balchandani, Praveen Veeramachineni, Vamsi Gadey

Duration
1.5 months (Oct - Dec 06)