A fog-assisted transport system for persons with disabilities using wearable networks

Advancements in internet of things (IoT) technology have empowered the creation of intelligent systems for enhancing the lives of persons with disabilities (PWDs) by improving their mobility and transportation access. The absence of resources and inclusive PWD policies incurs significant costs, amounting to 7% of GDP in some nations. To address PWD mobility challenges, this research study presents a wearable network-based intelligent transportation framework, integrating sensor fusion techniques with robust communication protocols. The study commences by illustrating an integrated IoT model, linking PWD-worn devices with the intelligent transport system through the use of IoT-assisted networks. This integration ensures that PWDs can seamlessly access transport data and services. It evaluates data access performance in terms of reliability and availability when data are accessed from the fog and cloud layers. The use of fog computing improves reliability and availability, providing a robust data access environment. Additionally, we explore the impact of IoT on PWD mobility, employing a provenance-based model with fog computing, enhancing the traceability of data access. This aids in maintaining an effective record of user visit history for enhanced performance. Finally, we conduct a comparative analysis, measuring the degree of difficulty, network utilization, latency, and revenue generation for visually impaired, physically disabled, and hearing-impaired individuals. Our results underscore a noteworthy 30% decrease in the level of difficulty experienced by PWDs, consequently leading to improved mobility. This proposed approach not only substantially enhances the mobility of PWDs but also makes substantial contributions to enhanced efficiency and accessibility within intelligent transport systems, thereby resulting in a remarkable degree of facilitation at 55% and a substantial Impact on Revenue Generation at 76%, benefitting society as a whole.