Hi, I don't think this is a good idea. Let me tell you why. I think at
some
point in time not in my life time they will have a computer command
vehicle,
that would be able to drive just about any where sort like the movie night
rider the car in it. Now this is great for us but what happens if
something
fails. I don't think the blind community having the way or right to drive
is
worth one person getting killed or injured in any way, especially if they
get injured badly. This is not worth having this freedom. Now if they
could
apply this to maybe some kind of navigation so we would not need help
walking and shopping and cooking and doing every day stuff then this would
be nice. I think we need to focus on the small things and then go from
there. We have problems with the every day task that needs to be fixed
before we jump to driving. This is my thoughts.
sign,
Joe Plummer (JP)
joeplummer@xxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf
Of Barbara Lineberry
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 7:44 PM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] Re: a new approach for a car for the blind
I saw something like this on TV several months ago, maybe a year ago. The
driver had a sighted person giving directions and the test was perfect.
My
problem is I believe that people who are blind can do a whole lot of
things,
many of them much better than me, including having a sense of direction
and
getting me to a location by directing me and I think it is terrific. I'm
not so sure about the driving, because it is hard enough to drive, being
sighted, and having to deal with drunks, teenagers and people whose eyes
are
failing but they won't admit it, and even cloudbursts. I read this
article
and tried to imagine what things might happen. It would be amazing if
something could happen to make this possible. I didn't learn to drive
until
I was 30 because it was thought my orthopedic problems were too severe.
And
I've had several periods since I could drive that I was not able to for
various reasons. I know it is hard, and having the feeling of freedom is
great, but I won't always be able to drive.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Allison and Chip Orange" <acorange@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 6:15 PM
Subject: [tabi] a new approach for a car for the blind
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Could a blind person drive a car? Researchers are
trying
to make
that far-fetched notion a reality.
The National Federation of the Blind and Virginia Tech plan to
demonstrate
a
prototype
vehicle next year equipped with technology that helps a blind person
drive
a
car
independently.
The technology, called "nonvisual interfaces," uses sensors to let a
blind
driver
maneuver a car based on information transmitted to him about his
surroundings: whether
another car or object is nearby, in front of him or in a neighboring
lane.
Advocates for the blind consider it a "moon shot," a goal similar to
President John
F. Kennedy's pledge to land a man on the moon. For many blind people,
driving a car
long has been considered impossible. But researchers hope the project
could
revolutionize
mobility and challenge long-held assumptions about limitations.
"We're exploring areas that have previously been regarded as
unexplorable,"
said
Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind.
"We're
moving
away from the theory that blindness ends the capacity of human beings to
make contributions
to society."
The Baltimore-based organization announced its plans for the vehicle
demonstration
at a news conference Friday in Daytona Beach, Fla.
A blind person, who has not yet been chosen, will drive the vehicle on a
course near
the famed Daytona race track and attempt to simulate a typical driving
experience.
Maurer first talked about building an automobile that the blind could
drive
about
a decade ago when he launched the organization's research institute.
"Some people thought I was crazy and they thought, 'Why do you want us to
raise money
for something that can't be done?' Others thought it was a great idea,"
Maurer said.
"Some people were incredulous. Others thought the idea was incredible."
The vehicle has its roots in Virginia Tech's 2007 entry into the DARPA
Grand
Challenge,
a competition for driverless vehicles funded by the Defense Department's
research
arm. The university's team won third place for a self-driving vehicle
that
used sensors
to perceive traffic, avoid crashing into other cars and objects and run
like
any
other vehicle.
Following their success, Virginia Tech's team responded to a challenge
from
the National
Federation of the Blind to help build a car that could be driven by a
blind
person.
Virginia Tech first created a dune buggy as part of a feasibility study
that
used
sensor lasers and cameras to act as the eyes of the vehicle. A vibrating
vest was
used to direct the driver to speed up, slow down or make turns.
The blind organization was impressed by the results and urged the
researchers to
keep pushing. The results will be demonstrated next January on a modified
Ford Escape
sport utility vehicle at the Daytona International Speedway before the
Rolex
24 race.
The latest vehicle will use nonvisual interfaces to help a blind driver
operate the
car. One interface, called DriveGrip, uses gloves with vibrating motors
on
areas
that cover the knuckles. The vibrations signal to the driver when and
where
to turn.
Another interface, called AirPix, is a tablet about half the size of a
sheet
of paper
with multiple air holes, almost like those found on an air hockey game.
Compressed
air coming out of the device helps inform the driver of his or her
surroundings,
essentially creating a map of the objects around a vehicle. It would show
whether
there's another vehicle in a nearby lane or an obstruction in the road.
A blind person, who has not yet been chosen, will drive the vehicle on a
course near
the famed Daytona race track and attempt to simulate a typical driving
experience.
Dr. Dennis Hong, a mechanical engineering professor at Virginia Tech who
leads the
research, said the technology could someday help a blind driver operate a
vehicle
but could also be used on conventional vehicles to make them safer or on
other applications.
Hong, who directs the school's Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory, said
they
hope
to turn the technology into a consumer product. But he added, "This is
not
going
to be a product until its proven 100 percent safe."
Advocates for the blind say it will take time before society accepts the
potential
of blind drivers and that the safety of the technology will need to be
proven through
years of testing. But more than anything, they say it's part of a broader
mission
to change the way people perceive the blind.
Mark Riccobono, executive director of the NFB's Jernigan Institute, said
when he
walks down the street with his 3-year-old son, many people might think
he,
as a blind
person, is being guided by his son.
"The idea that a 3-year-old takes care of me stems from what they think
about blindness,"
Riccobono said. "That will change when people see that we can do
something
that they
thought was impossible."
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