Welcome!
Welcome to The VAST project website! You will find all of the details about our project here. This includes design documents, presentations, and visual representations of our project idea. Enjoy!
– The VAST Team
Summary
There are 5.3 million paralyzed people in the United States alone, and an estimated 52 million worldwide. Every year, it is estimated that there are 500,000 spinal cord injuries that contribute to paralyzation. The paralyzed and disabled community often has trouble maintaining independence in daily living activities. One aspect of the independence problem is the storage of items in the home. Because of the limited reach of people who are bound to a wheelchair, they are restricted to storing items in a small vertical space. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires compliant design to accommodate a maximum reach height of 48 inches and a minimum reach height of 15 inches. This means that upper and lower shelves and free space go unused in the home, especially when heavy items need to be stored. Vertical Automated Storage Technology (VAST) solves the problem by offering users convenient, space efficient, and safe storage of heavy items.