AI-Accessibility Exhibition

The Al-Accessibility exhibition explored how innovations of multi-sensory design and artificial intelligence (Al) can transform the accessibility of the built environment. The design-build team, led by students of architecture, showcased five spaces-a residential threshold, hospital hallway, retail outlet, crosswalk-sidewalk, and museum-which were optimized for non-visual navigation by combining Al and emerging methods of material fabrication. Among the featured building elements were smart handrails, interactive floor and wall tiles, Al-information stations, and conversational public seating.

Supported by an interdisciplinary research team of faculty and student researchers from architecture, computer science, marketing, and the humanities, the exhibition was curated by Dr. Andrew Gipe-Lazarou and Zixi Li, funded by the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT), and generously supported by the expertise and guidance of the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI).

Research Team: Andrew Gipe-Lazarou, Luis Borunda Monsivais, Meng Zhu, Na Meng, Ralisa Dawkins, Abhijit Sarkar

Lead Curators: Andrew Gipe-Lazarou, Zixi Li

Development Team: Luis Borunda Monsivais, Ye Cao, Rishith Gandham

Additional Support: Gustavo Araoz, Brandon Hale, Tanner Upthegrove, Sneha Rajamanickam

Student Design Teams

Doorway Redesign: Jake Jourdan, Lauren Egan, Pearl Carvalho

Hospital Hallway: Yuxuan Sun, Himadri Maheshwari, Anthony Acevedo

Grocery + Clothing Store: Maddie Pagano, Morgan Waterman, Angelina Zigic, Nyliam Gazze

Crosswalk-Sidewalk:Tamia Barnes, Emma Guarino, Camelia Lazaro, Martina Mihelcic, Sneha Sara Pothen

Accessible Tourism: Haotian (Jerry) Xu, Ka Fang Kou, Dohee Kim, Megan Wysocki

QR Codes: Vaasav Changini, Neharika Gupta, Shraddha Thanneeru