Made to Move Communities™

Inspiring the next generation of innovators as they develop inclusive mobility solutions for a more connected world

The Made to Move Communities™ challenge, launched in 2020, is Otis’ global social impact program. It pairs students with Otis mentors to solve real-world mobility challenges through STEM and artificial intelligence. Each year, students explore how mobility affects their communities and develop innovative solutions that make movement safer, more inclusive and more sustainable.

The program is designed to spark interest in STEM careers, strengthen our future workforce, and deepen Otis’ engagement in the communities where we live and work. It also supports career development by offering Otis colleagues meaningful opportunities to mentor, lead and grow.

One example of the program’s benefit to the business is the story of Agustín, a former participant in the Made to Move Communities initiative who now works at Otis as a technician. His experience demonstrates how exposure to STEM and mentorship can open doors to career opportunities while helping build a strong pipeline of future talent for our business.

1250+

Student participants

1000+

Otis volunteer mentors

145

STEM grants

Year 7: Mobility solutions to support aging populations

As populations around the world age, maintaining independence and mobility is increasingly important. In Year 7 of Made to Move Communities, students will work alongside Otis mentors to develop AI-powered, inclusive mobility solutions that help aging populations maintain independence in their daily lives.

Mobility Solutions to Reduce the Impacts of Climate Change

Today, more than ever, climate change poses a significant threat to the safety, prosperity and wellbeing of people and communities around the world. For the third year of Made to Move Communities, we empowered the next generation of innovators to be a part of the solution. Otis colleagues mentored 230+ students across the globe to develop solutions to the climate change issues impacting mobility today for the benefit of generations to come. Watch the video to learn more.

Mobility Solutions for Older Populations

The number of older adults is projected to double to 1.5 billion in 2050². For the second year of Made to Move Communities, we tapped young minds and applied creative thinking to help cities of the future adapt and meet the needs of this growing population. Across 14 countries and territories, teams of Otis employee mentors and students created STEM-based mobility solutions ranging from connected wheelchairs and smart escalators to a device improving access to local water stations.

Watch the video to learn more.

¹https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WorldPopulationAgeing2019-Highlights.pdf

Mobility Solutions to COVID-19

In its first year, Made to Move Communities engaged schools in Brazil, China, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Russia, Spain, the United States and Singapore. Under the mentorship of Otis employees, nearly 100 students spent eight weeks developing STEM-based solutions to address mobility challenges in their communities – particularly those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch the video to learn more about Year 1 of Made to Move Communities and see the student solutions.

Our Winners

China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China

Created a walking assist exoskeleton to help individuals with weak lower limbs enjoy the health benefits of walking to and through green spaces.
Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School, Taipei City, Taiwan

Designed a wearable detector that alerts the user of nearby obstacles when traveling to and visiting green spaces.

Global winner: Pembroke Pines Charter High School, Florida, United States

A smartphone application that uses AI to aid individuals with visual impairments by providing a description of their surroundings to help navigate spaces.
Yamagata Higashi High School, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan

An AI-equipped mobility scooter to prevent falls and provide a safe mobility experience for older populations.
Tianjin Farragut School, Tianjin, China

An AI-powered elevator system that optimizes multi-elevator coordination for efficient resource allocation, while integrating smart hardware to enhance travel comfort.
Üsküdar American Academy (UAA), Istanbul, Türkiye

An AI-based app that sends audio, visual, and vibrating notifications to smartphones and smartwatches, helping individuals with hearing impairment recognize emergency alerts, audible hazards and warnings in their environment.

Americas: Wilson High School, Florence (SC), United States

Proposed a variation of a composite roofing shingle to help reduce temperatures and lower energy consumption/cost for homeowners. These shingles would be less expensive and require less maintenance than asphalt, reducing associated runoff waste.
Europe, Middle East & Africa: Nový PORG, Prague, Czech Republic

Developed a concept for a mapping application that enables users to select the best mode of transportation and route to a destination to minimize carbon emissions. The app also includes ways to identify if certain routes are accessible for persons with disabilities.
Asia Pacific: Kamnoetvidya Science Academy, Wangchan District, Thailand

Created a solution of a website that shows real-time flood data, with push alerts, to help drivers avoid dangerous and/or impassable areas.
China: China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, China

Devised a contactless transit that repurposes wasted energy for improved efficiency.

Americas: Center for Industrial and Services Technological Studies

Students from the winning team in Mexico proposed a portable bath to help prevent falls in the bathroom, a common location for falls due to slippery floors and often small, tight spaces.
Europe, Middle East & Africa: GEMS Wellington Academy

The winning student team proposed a connected, motorized wheelchair to help older populations navigate Dubai's shopping malls, which are among the largest in the world.
Asia Pacific: Institute of Technical Education

The winning student team imagined the 'WheelySTIK' – a motorized piece of equipment that mimics caregivers' actions to lift and support the movement of older, less mobile people, thereby reducing the risk of injury to the caregivers.
China: Nanchang University in Nanchang

Students from Nanchang University imagined a smart escalator that can identify passengers in wheelchairs and adjust its steps to create a stable, moving platform for passage.

Japan - ICT (International College of Technology) Kanazawa

The student team created a website and app to monitor crowd levels and help revive tourism in Shiramine, where the local economy has suffered due to COVID-19. The app provides real-time data to help visitors more safely and comfortably visit the most popular local tourist attractions, while still avoiding crowds and adhering to occupancy limits.
Hong Kong - SAR ELCHK Yuen Long Lutheran Secondary School

Students focused their ideas on improving access in and out of local wet markets. From designing a user-friendly app called Foodson, to a robot that can shop for and deliver fresh groceries, the students’ solutions were customized to meet the needs of those who have less experience with online purchasing and technology.
Singapore - Institute of Technical Education

The students created a face mask with a lightweight skin thermometer for real-time temperature checks. The mask helps reduce the time it takes for temperature checks prior to taking public transit, making the daily commute faster while easing concerns about coming into contact with someone who is ill.
China

Shanghai Jiaotong
University Zhejiang
University Beijing Institute of Technology
Nankai University
Chongqing University

After careful research on China’s population, the student teams created mobility solutions to make transportation easier for the country’s large aging population.
Germany - Romain Rolland Gymnasium

Students developed solutions to improve the daily commute. Two focused on reducing the risk of infection and technology to support social distancing. The third solution was designed to make cities more bicycle-friendly – more effectively moving bicycles up/down escalators and onto trains.
Spain: Colegio Virgen de Europa

The student team identified solutions to decrease the spread of COVID-19. They developed touchless solutions and alternative methods to access stores, restaurants, and public transportation.
Brazil: SENAC

Students created a QR code solution that monitors and improves the check-in process for people in public spaces. People provide some simple, personal health information to an online site to access and assess data on crowd levels at each location.
Connecticut, USA: Bloomfield High School

Students proposed innovative solutions for improving contactless grocery pick-up options. They used UV lights, conveyer belts and drones to help provide options for people who do not feel comfortable shopping in a store due to COVID-19.
California, USA: Jordan High School, Long Beach

The student team developed an app to integrate data into public transportation systems – specifically, city buses. The app tracks number of passengers and identifies the best – and safest – time to ride the bus. Additionally, research was done to find improved air filtration and purification systems for buses – helping commuters feel safer during the pandemic.

Why Made to Move Communities

Inspiring STEM-based mobility solutions

Made to Move Communities, the cornerstone of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, focuses on two issues that are vital both to Otis and to the communities where we live and work: STEM education and inclusive mobility.

This annual challenge will inspire students from around the world to come up with creative, technology-based solutions for eliminating the physical, geographic and financial barriers to mobility that often afflict our neighbors.

Inclusive mobility and well-being

At Otis, we know just how important mobility is to people’s well-being and their ability to lead healthy, productive lives. Few companies have played a greater role in creating today’s connected urban world, and our innovations continue to transform how people live and work.

Yet even today, many people lack access to reliable, affordable, convenient means for getting where they need to go, whether it’s school, work, the market or to receive medical care.

We believe new technologies such as artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and other smart, connected devices and networks hold the potential to address these challenges and deliver on the promise of inclusive mobility – for everyone, everywhere.

By participating in Made to Move Communities, students will get a glimpse into this exciting future – and be encouraged to play a role in shaping the world we live in today and forgenerations to come.

Preparing the 21st century workforce

50 million STEM jobs unfilled by 2030 due to skills gap

In the era of Industry 4.0, technology permeates every job category, including manufacturing and many other trades. To prepare themselves for this rapidly evolving workplace, students need a solid grounding in STEM curricula and subjects – science, technology, engineering and math.

Yet according to one estimate, a skills gap may leave as many as 50 million jobs unfilled globally by 2030.¹ Made to Move Communities is one way to help close this gap, by complementing existing school programs with safe, real-world lessons conducted under the guidance of Otis experts – people who are passionate about technology and helping to nurture the next generation of innovators.

²https://news.microsoft.com/en-xm/2019/04/12/making-an-impact-for-stem-education-in-europe/

Communitas Award Recipient

In its inaugural year, Made to Move Communities received the Communitas Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility.The Otis program was specifically recognized in the “Making A Difference Category,” which highlights those striving to impact positive change on people and communities.

The Communitas Awards is an international effort to recognize exceptional businesses, organizations, and individuals who are unselfishly giving of themselves and their resources, and those who are changing how they do business to benefit their communities. Nominees are evaluated on the extent and effectiveness of their efforts. To learn more about the award, visit www.communitasawards.com/background.