A Three-Layer Approach to Inclusive Mobility Design
Accessible mobility is not just about finding an accessible route. It is about supporting people throughout their entire journey.
This session explores how Wayix, a Gold Award-winning concept, combines adaptive mobility profiles, human-in-the-loop AI, voice assistance, mobile interaction, and projected spatial guidance to create a seamless navigation experience for wheelchair users.
Learn how the team designed a three-layer interaction architecture that reduces cognitive load, maintains user agency, and delivers context-specific support at every stage of the journey. The session offers valuable lessons for anyone designing inclusive, AI-enabled, and multimodal user experiences.
About the Project: Wayix
Winner of the UX Design Award | Gold 2026
Wayix is an AI-powered navigation system for wheelchair users. It builds a personal mobility profile through natural conversation. Routes adapt in real time based on user readiness and changing conditions. Guidance is delivered across three coordinated layers: a mobile interface for context and control, an always-on voice agent for hands-free interaction, and ground projection that embeds spatial cues directly onto the path - reducing cognitive load and enabling safer, more confident navigation.
Jury Statement, UX Design Awards – Autumn 2026:
"Wayix impressed the jury by addressing a critical yet often overlooked mobility challenge for wheelchair users. Unlike conventional navigation systems, it provides personalized guidance based on the user’s condition, wheelchair type, and environment. Its multimodal approach supports the entire journey – from planning and navigation to route review – while maintaining user control through a human-in-the-loop AI model. This thoughtful balance of technology and user autonomy creates an empowering experience that enables more independent, confident, and safe travel, thereby enhancing quality of life. Additionally, its inclusive and appealing design promotes confidence, motivation, and a greater sense of empowerment."
About the Format:
Deep Dive: Award Winners presents outstanding projects from the professional Award categories Product and Concept. The format, interactive live presentations followed by a Q&A session, offers behind-the-scenes insights into award-winning projects and facilitates a dialogue with successful experience design teams.
Presented by Ake Rudolf, Award Director & Head of Strategy, International Design Center Berlin (IDZ) and Júlia Doñate Project Manager of the UX Design Awards.
