Over Fall 2023, my team and I researched how to integrate accessible parking into Smart Loading Zones in Pittsburgh. Following in-depth conversations with drivers with disabilities, we uncovered frequent challenges, including misuse of parking spaces and struggles in locating available parking. To tackle these issues head-on, we've developed a comprehensive solution, Accessible Pittsburgh, which combines a real-time parking availability app, an EZPass-like system for hands-free garage entry, and a smart camera system that monitors and displays authorization status for accessible parking spots. This integrated approach ensures easy access, informed parking decisions, and ethical use of accessible spots.
At the start of the class, we were asked to set 3 learning goals for ourselves, 2 of which were centered around improving as a researcher: (1) improving my ability to ask research-specific questions during interviews and (2) applying in-class material to an independent study that teaches debugging skills. My last learning goal was to be more conscious of ethical considerations and responsible AI solutions.
For the first, I had the opportunity to sit in and take notes while Emily interviewed participants for our solution. By being on the note-taking side, I quickly learned what questions encouraged the participant to share their thoughts. So as the semester progressed, I had countless opportunities to interview different participants which helped hone my skills. While we all had scripts for the interview, I learned that being able to ask follow-up questions based on the participant's responses was the most effective way to learn more about our project.
Secondly, something I noticed during my independent study was my ability to analyze and question the research papers I analyzed. I would ask about validity, contribute to future iterations of interviews, and help find and schedule studies. In terms of running interviews for the debugging tool, I improved my ability to ask follow-up questions by probing their thoughts on the interaction.
Lastly, because our solution did not introduce new technology, I reframed my goal to better utilize existing technology and repurposed it to aid the parking process for accessible drivers. Across our proposed solutions, we were able to integrate the SLZ license plate scanning into all 3. Instead of over-complicating and adding financially infeasible solutions, I am proud that we embraced innovative thinking to incorporate the SLZ technology.
As for my role in the project, I was the project manager tasked with setting clear objectives for each meeting, ensuring our team remained aligned and on schedule, and submitting deliverables each week. At the beginning of our sessions, I prioritized outlining the tasks at hand and strategizing how to effectively utilize our meeting time to maintain our progress trajectory.
Given my role as the project manager, I also learned to effectively work with my team members and the information available at each meeting. Because not all members were able to meet at times, I did my best to complete the task while also leaving a comprehensive guideline for absent members to ensure seamless integration of their work. These strategies not only helped in managing the project efficiently but also fostered a collaborative and inclusive team environment, ensuring every member, regardless of their attendance, remained a valuable and integral part of our journey towards achieving our project objectives.
Since this is my first time conducting a full research study, I learned a great deal about the process: background research, finding participants, interviewing, discovering insights through affinity diagramming, and presenting our findings.