Dott tackles e-scooter accessibility in London

Dott is launching a “multi-pronged approach” in an effort to make e-scooters more accessible to those with disabilities.

The announcement comes after Dott won a tender to take part in London’s ongoing e-scooter trial, bringing its sensor technology, rider-facing training, smart parking technology and sound detection to the UK.

Sensor technology
Dott recently launched a pavement detection trial with cycling tech and data experts See.Sense. The pavement detection technology uses sensors to identify changes in road surfaces and erratic riding, making it possible to protect the safety of its users and ensures riders adhere to the rules of the road.

As part of the trial, Dott is integrating See.Sense devices, containing advanced sensor and communications technology, to a selection of e-scooters in London with three core aims – the first being the identification of areas around the city where extreme braking/swerving may be indicative of potential collision areas. This data will be fed back to key city stakeholders and TfL, to take proactive action to redesign infrastructure before incidents occur. Secondly; pavement detection through monitoring changes in road surface. The third and final aim of the partnership is to identify trends in reckless riding. If a rider is behaving abnormally, an alert can be sent to the rider as a warning. This data will also be shared with city authorities and the Met police to identify core locations and times of these events, to identify riding trends.

Rider-facing training initiative
In line with its London launch, Dott released its incentivised safety programme ‘Smooth rider club’, allowing riders to earn points towards discounted rides for completing their online or in-location rider safety courses. The programme educates riders on the rules of the road and how to safely operate an e-scooter specifically in relation to other road users and pedestrians.

Smart parking technology
In other European markets, Dott has over 97% parking compliance amongst riders. This is due to their established ‘safe parking’ feature which partners built in GPS location technology with photo enforcement, to ensure vehicles are parked correctly in designated parking bays. Educating riders within the app, giving them clear directions on how to ride and park. On the off chance that a scooter is left outside of a parking zone the rider will be fined with a relocation fee and a prompt will be sent to our street teams to pick up and repark the scooter in a safe location (within 3 hours). More information can be found here.

Sound detection
Dott recently funded a research programme with the University of Salford on audible detection, in partnership with the RNIB. This research project aims to create a distinctive sound that can be easily recognised by people with visual impairments. Deliverables will include a digital sound file to embed into Dott e-scooters, Ethics approval for Lab Study to determine (perception and noticeability). First sound files, created and tested in lab conditions will be completed by the end of July and will be deployable for further testing in London later this summer.