Virginia Tech Modding Ford SUV for Blind Drivers
Researchers at Virginia Tech are modifying a Ford Escape so that it can be driven by a blind person.
Technology has helped the disabled in too many ways to count but the fine people at Virginia Tech, along with the National Federation of the Blind, are in the process of helping the blind do something many thought would be impossible: Next January, they will demonstrate the first street vehicle equipped with technology that allows a blind person to drive independently.
Dr. Dennis Hong, Director of the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at Virginia Tech, said in a statement that the object of the project was not to create a vehicle that would do the driving for a blind person, but allow a blind person to do the driving.
"Three years ago we accepted the NFB Blind Driver Challenge to develop a vehicle that can be driven by a blind person," said Dr. Hong. "The challenge was not the development of an autonomous vehicle that could drive a blind person around, but rather the creation of nonvisual interfaces that would allow a blind person to actually make driving decision."
The AP reports that back in 2007, Virginia Tech entered the DARPA Grand Challenge, a competition seeking driverless vehicles, which was funded by the Defense Department. The Virginia Tech team came in third with their vehicle that used sensors to perceive traffic and avoid other cars and objects. Following this success, the team decided to take on the challenge from the NFB. Last year they demoed a car that used sensor lasers and cameras to act as the driver's eyes (pictured). A vibrating vest communicated when to speed up, slow down or turn.
On January 29, 2011, a blind person will drive a modified Ford Escape at the Daytona International Speedway before the Rolex 24 race. The modded Ford includes DriveGrip, vibrating gloves that signal when to turn, and AirPix, a tablet that pushes compressed air out of multiple air holes, creating a map of objects around the vehicle.
For more on DriveGrip and AirPix, check out the video below.
(Associated Press via Engadget)
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OK.
About 20% of the people on USA freeways drive like they're blind so this can only be an improvement.
kudos for developing the tech, but some handicaps do provide a limitation that just can't be overcome. I really don't want to be on the road with blind people.
you wrote "Virgina Tech" on the title. Should be Virginia.
I still wouldnt like to be driving on a freeway with blind people.
If it works great. But what about finding street addresses and names. GPS and Google maps do not always have new streets listed. Rarely are they accurate down to the address.
By reading the description of this system, I don't understand if the blind person is driving the car or the car is driving the blind person!
you wrote "Virgina Tech" on the title. Should be Virginia.I still wouldnt like to be driving on a freeway with blind people.
No, Virginia Tech is correct
While this is great for freedom for the blind, I do hope that this is not meant to actually let them drive on the roads. All well and good if it's to let them have the EXPERIENCE of driving in some safe area, but...at least with today's technology, I don't see letting the blind on our highways and byways as in the best interest of the public. Seriously.
No, Virginia Tech is correct
Except that the title is Virgina Tech.
Virginia (UVa) is in Charlottesville, VA; Virginia Tech (VPI&SU) is in Blacksburg, VA. We already have many blind drivers in VA; well they act like it, and our ATMs are already equipped for them!
anyone can drive around an empty carpark
Yeah right, probably funded by taxpayer dollars in the form of some grant too.
The problem is that most SIGHTED people can't drive. Not to mention all the text-driving, phone-driving, tired-driving, drunk-driving and just-plain-bad driving threats that make driving such a hazard!
Why not just make a car that drives for sighted and blind alike, and make the roads safer for all of us?
Nice, but that's a real reach. There are way too many unpredictable variables to ever make it safe for the blind driver, or for the unsuspecting sighted motorists who would be put at-risk. Sorry, but I don't care to have the roadways subjected to such a risky experiment, noble as it may sound.
I don't think this is a good idea. A blind driveable wheelchair maybe. But a car? uhh...
Money should be spent on higher resolution integrated optical implants.
Blind drivers, seriously bad idea. I dont care about Blind Peoples transportation concerns. Life is unfair, get over it.
It is bad enough with the large amount of terrible terrible drivers out there today who have no business being behind the wheel, without adding actual blind people and acting like its ok because of some computer aided devices.
it seems like a lot of effort and expensive technology for something i wouldn't trust on the road. I think a better use of time, money and energy would be to continue to work toward an automated driving system and take the human completely out of the picture. if this system works on the computers sensors alone and just tells the person what to do then wouldn't it just be safer to have it fully automated.
With use of their system, is a blind driver capable of driving as high speeds with decent enough response time to external elements? I mean, would a blind driver have time enough to properly dodge another vehicle about to hit it dead on with both vehicles traveling at a high speed?
What about instances of near collision where drivers avoid almost hitting each other? (even in slow speeds, think of tight roads) How do you tell the blind driver that the opposing vehicle is about to dodge left, so you can avoid dodging to the same direction and end up crashing into each other.
With use of their system, is a blind driver capable of driving as high speeds with decent enough response time to external elements? I mean, would a blind driver have time enough to properly dodge another vehicle about to hit it dead on with both vehicles traveling at a high speed?
What about instances of near collision where drivers avoid almost hitting each other? (even in slow speeds, think of tight roads) How do you tell the blind driver that the opposing vehicle is about to dodge left, so you can avoid dodging to the same direction and end up crashing into each other.
Eek, what about all of those times the sensors failed in the Darpa challenge? This still sounds like much of the decision making falls on imperfect computer algorithms that vibrate the vest.
Secondly, a lot of driving has to do with anticipation and knowing your surroundings, that's one of the major differences between someone just starting to drive and someone with years of experience - can the vest provide that?
This seems like a dangerous idea. Why not use some light sensors and the vest to help blind people walk around more easily. There's a much larger error margin there.
kudos for developing the tech, but some handicaps do provide a limitation that just can't be overcome. I really don't want to be on the road with blind people.
And I really don't want to be on the road with old people that could lose awareness at any time. And I wouldn't want to be on the road with people texting behind the wheel. And I wouldn't want to on the road with people driving a sports car and want to find out how fast it can go. Yet I encounter them daily.
When technology enables people to overcome their handicaps, we should be glad. Blind drivers aren't anymore dangerous than many other types of drivers that are allowed to drive freely.
A new meaning for "Blind Driveway" signs.
You have to be blind to buy a Ford anyway!
And I really don't want to be on the road with old people that could lose awareness at any time. And I wouldn't want to be on the road with people texting behind the wheel. And I wouldn't want to on the road with people driving a sports car and want to find out how fast it can go. Yet I encounter them daily.When technology enables people to overcome their handicaps, we should be glad. Blind drivers aren't anymore dangerous than many other types of drivers that are allowed to drive freely.
Blind people may not be more dangerous then anyone else but do we REALLY need MORE dangerous drivers on the road? It's dangerous as it is adding more just makes it worse.
o mother of god, wtf are these people thinking, this is the last thing we need on the road, especially with all the electric interference going on these days. i could just immagine a claim conversation would go something like this:
insurance agent "so what happened?"
customer "i was hit by a blind driver"
insurance agent "was he driving?"
customer "no"
insurance agent "well sir, then your are not covered since the person was blind, therefore it's an act of GOD for him being born that way"
hope i did not offend anyone here, then again...who cares
A lot of you are way over thinking this. "People can't drive how it is". While I agree with that. Blind drivers would probably be 10x better then average driver. As they would actually have to be paying attention, and concentrating more.
I hope this does work, and I hope they become able to drive on the roads. I'd rather have them driving something like this *if it works* then a women behind the wheel *I kid.. well sord of*
absurd