Blind Drivers Will Test-Drive Modified Ford Escape at Daytona Next Year

By Rebecca Boyle Posted 07.02.2010 at 2:00 pm 10 Comments

Driving Blind Looks like a blast

An effort to help blind people drive cars has reached an important step -- driver awareness systems are now being integrated into a mass-production vehicle. Blind drivers will test-drive a specially outfitted Ford Escape in January at Daytona International Speedway, team members announced Friday.

It will probably be a while before a legally blind person will be able to drive a car on the highway, but it’s not as far-fetched as it used to be. A team at Virginia Tech has been working on a car for the blind since 2007, when they won a Darpa Grand Challenge award for a self-driving vehicle that used sensors to perceive traffic, avoid crashing into other cars and objects and run like any other vehicle.

The National Federation for the Blind joined forces with the Tech team, which spent the next two years developing a dune buggy that used lasers and cameras to act as the vehicle’s “eyes.”

Now, the team has two new interfaces that use blind drivers’ other senses to help them perceive the road. A blind person, who has not yet been selected, will drive a modified Escape on the famous Daytona race track in January, AP reports.

The vehicle has a couple interfaces -- one, called DriveGrip, uses gloves with vibrating motors that cover the knuckles. Vibrations tell the driver when and where to turn, AP reports.

Another interface, AirPix, works like an air-hockey game. It involves a tablet with holes that release compressed air, essentially creating a sensory map of the driver’s surroundings, AP explains.

The National Federation of the Blind is involved in the research, hoping to provide blind people with more independence.

[PhysOrg]

2010 Ford Escape: Ford

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10 Comments

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NullPoint

07/02/10 at 2:44 pm

This just sounds like a bad idea that our overly PC society deems obligatory... how about using that money to research a cure for/prevention of blindness instead?

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GregNJ

07/02/10 at 9:35 pm

A couple days ago it was flying cars and now this.

I'm going underground.

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A_Rock

07/03/10 at 12:32 am

This is not cool. Just hurry up and make cars that can drive themselves and we won't have to worry about this.

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A_Rock

07/03/10 at 5:00 am

Here here!!!

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tallin32

07/03/10 at 7:50 pm

@A_Rock/@UFCWarrior:
On the one hand--I'd love a car that could drive itself. Seriously. On the other, as a blind person who's also done some research on the idea of a "cure for blindness" (mostly to argue with these poor, unfortunate people I've run across who assume that they are unable to live if they're unable to see, so give them a cure yesterday), let me pose a question or six.
* A cure for blindness. Fine idea--but what causes do we cure? Mine's caused by heaps of faulty wiring in the eye (nearly nonexistent retina, optic nerve doesn't connect to the brain ... is that it? Y'know I don't even remember.).
* Dude! You'd have to relearn how to do everything, even assuming that fixing the optical wiring would work. In some cases, full restoration of physical eyesight might still not cure the problem. Actually ... come to think of it, can anyone share any more recent examples involving neuroplasticity and the ability to learn a sense to full capacity if you've never had it?
* I'd imagine that, before I was permitted to be behind the wheel of an actual vehicle on the actual highway where I could inflict my actual road rage on people whilst I was stuck behind some guy texting his girlfriend and making me late for my 10:00 meeting, this would have to go through some rigorous testing, getting signoff from people that, much like you lovely folks, are scared to death at having a blind person behind the wheel of a car.

@NullPoint Let me clear up some misconceptions surrounding "PC". See, PC is coming up with some $20 term that means "blind". This is useless because, despite all of our efforts in political correctness, I'm still apparently brave and courageous for going to work mornings, people still assume that a lack of eyesight is guaranteed to leave you collecting government assistance and not able to take care of yourself, and developments that allow blind people to progress beyond a certain point scare people. So ... PC is useless. Now, innovation, in contrast, is actually solving a problem in new, inventive ways. Whether this is innovation or a complete waste of resources, though, is anybody's guess.

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RogueSquirrel

07/05/10 at 2:15 am

"An effort to help blind people drive cars...are now being integrated into a mass-production vehicle."

Hell, I don't even want people that can already see driving on the road.

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Xenthis

07/05/10 at 7:45 am

I think that people should focus on curing blindness, not on letting people who cant see drive cars.

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twobrain

07/05/10 at 5:36 pm

Ok I am not sure how long it takes to read braille or interpret these complex inputs that are non standard in form. What does concern me about this is having seen traffic go from 75-80 mph to 20 in about 2-5 seconds. I can't help but wonder if the technology being presented can bring forth that type of sensory input quick enough then from there can it be translated quick enough for this type of situation.

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Korleone

07/15/10 at 6:02 pm

Since when did they become too good for tin cans and loose change? Sure its just cars now but soon they will want books and some such.

Forget the blind. Help the seeing drive.

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Trikerdude2002

10/23/10 at 10:47 pm

KORLEONE: You are living proof that stupid people should not breed.