[nabs-l] NFB Car

Mon Apr 15 18:11:43 UTC 2013

I'm assuming this interface is an prototype at the moment. Do you know when it will become commercially available?

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 15, 2013, at 2:08 PM, "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com> wrote:

> Good afternoon everyone,
> 
>    As mentioned previously the "NFB Car" is really not a car at all but a 
> technology interface that can be fitted in to any vehicle to allow it to be 
> driven by a blind person. This same technology with some modifications could 
> just as easily be included on a bus, a train, or even an airplane to enable 
> all of these vehicles to be controlled and operated by a blind person. And 
> there are the residual uses this technology will have to benefit the blind 
> and others over time. All of these points are discussed in detail in The 
> Braille Monitor, in several past national convention presentations and on 
> the Blind Driver Challenge Web Site. This should clear things up as to the 
> exact role our blind driver technology has compared with that of the Google 
> Car. Hopefully Google will incorporate our interface in to their car to 
> allow it to be driven by a blind person when the need arose.
> 
> Peter Donahue
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Robert William Kingett" <kingettr at gmail.com>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 12:05 PM
> Subject: [nabs-l] the NFB car VS the google car.
> 
> 
> In reading this thread this morning, there's a lot of support for a car
> that isn't even hinting at what stage in the development it's resting
> on. Someone said that the car will be ready by 2016 but that can be
> dismissed simply, because, the fact that the NFB are not even releasing
> any information about the car and also about the technology because,
> apparently, they don't want to be like apple and have their stuff taken.
> If this is the case then how would you know that the technology will be
> ready in 2016? It doesn't make sense. If there's no more press releases
> about the subject, news coverage, updates on the email list, and yes
> I've been subscribed for about a month, TV coverage, anything. It's as
> if this car was like an amazing firework that faded away over time.so,
> if there's no progress indicator as to how far the technology is then,
> no, the car will not be ready by 2016. No one knows when this car will
> be ready.
> 
> As far as safety, I have a few things to point out. I've seen this car
> in action. It's stunning, amazing, and epic, but it’s prone to a lot of
> accidents simply by the sheer notion that it's human operated. Plus,
> instead of having one piece of technology to worry about failing, the
> driver as to be aware of everything. This fosters greater
> responsibility, yes, but that comes bundled with an unseen price. For
> those who don't know, I'll talk about the car. And the challenge and
> weigh the consider and pros, my opinions, of course, based in
> observation alone.
> 
> The challengeis not the development of an autonomous car that drives a
> blind person around; the “challenge” is to develop a nonvisual interface
> for a car that can convey real-time information about driving conditions
> to the blind so that we can use our own capacity to think and react to
> interpret these data and maneuver a car safely.
> 
> You know how on this list even some blind people were like oh my god I
> don’t want to be alongside of a blind person driving! There could be
> accidents with the Google car! Wouldn't this car present even more
> accidents? The sheer idea of the Google car was to create polite
> software that follows the rules of the road, keeping people safe. I
> don’t want to or don't need to tell you all about the kind of technology
> that this sports because I've posted many, many, many, many, many, many
> news articles and videos on the subject as well as videos, even a really
> long documentary on the car. In the NFB car, as I have said, the driver
> has to be aware of everything… even, say pedestrian’s etc. machine can
> act way faster than man. You know all those scenarios that people posted
> here about worrying about people running out into the street, etc.? Did
> you all not read the last news article I posted? The car stopped when a
> squirrel skittered onto the street. With the NFB car that information
> needs to be conveyed to the driver quickly enough for the driver to
> react. The Google car reacts instantly, and it did. As I have said, the
> NFB car’s drivers rely on information that HAS to be conveyed to them so
> that they can make decisions, but what if not everything is conveyed to
> them at a very crucial point, say, when a squirrel skitters out onto the
> road. Amazingly, I got to wave my press pass like a drunken monkey to
> have a close up look at the car.
> 
> I also kept an eye out for good-looking black men but I didn't see any.
> When will I ever find a beautiful husband? Sigh. I want to have someone
> who looks like Denzel Washington! Ahem! Anyway…
> 
> A vibrating seat, called SpeedStrip, told Riccobono whether to speed up
> or slow down depending on what part of the seat rumbled. Gloves with
> tiny vibrating motors, called DriveGrip, let Riccobono know what to do
> with the steering wheel. What if one of these malfunctions but the rest
> work fine, and someone runs out into the street before the driver can
> react. With the Google car, this doesn't happen, correction, didn't.
> Plus, as many news articles say, there's failsafe in place when
> something malfunctions. The issue with the blind car, again, is the
> reaction time of the driver and this is a huge issue because humans are
> not the same.
> 
> Now, onto actually driving. If the NFB car is prominent then there are a
> whole slew of things that will have to be made. Driving tests
> specifically, and also test courses would need to be built that
> specifically test the adaptive technology in the car and a more unique
> driving test specifically for the blind, not to mention a track. With
> the Google car, this isn't needed. Sure, I’d believe you'd have to be
> licensed to use the car but it will be a much more streamlined process.
> 
> Also, what if you’re missing a glove, etc. you can't drive, can you?
> Sighted people can just hop in their cars and go. the NFB car has to be
> geared up to go. What if you’re disorganized and loose a glove? You have
> everything else but you don't have all the technology needed to drive,
> and you'd have to call a cab anyway. Okay maybe not just a glove but you
> get my point right?
> 
> Now, about any route, say, to school, In order to actually drive this
> route, the blind driver needs to have a thorough understanding of their
> immediate environment. You'd have to map out the route before you get
> there. With the Google car, this isn't even an issue. You'd just hop in
> the car and go. By the way, the best thing about having a car that
> operates on cloud technology, you could actually control the car via
> phone. You don't have to be in the car. This is incredible, meaning,
> before you leave, you can input where you want to go as you’re sitting
> on your couch.
> 
> Something that's not in the Google car that I believe should be, is
> something to tell you how long it will take you to get there. I don't
> know why Google didn't think of that. For movies, etc. so you'd know
> what time you'd have to leave, etc.
> 
> The software that's on the Google car is cloud based, everything, so it
> will update wirelessly. This is badass, if you ask me. Its maps will
> update in real time, almost. This is also a bad thing, because, as of
> now, if it's heavy snow or heavy rain then you can't drive the car. But
> the software will be updated. How would you update the GPS in the NFB
> car? Google is thinking about easy future implementation, hence having a
> car that operates via the cloud and wireless technology. This will make
> upgrades easier. You won’t have to get a new model unless the engine
> fails or something like that.
> 
> As of now there's no audible interface to start the car but there's a
> keyboard command, shift X, if you were listening in the last video that
> I posted about the BBC documentary involving the Google car. This
> technology will accommodate the blind fully, with more work, because,
> hell, a blind person has driven it! That shows me that Google is
> definitely thinking about the blind driving this car in the future.
> 
> There aren’t a lot of road laws that would need to be in place. With the
> NFB car you'd have to take into drinking while driving, etc.,
> accompanying the blindness. With the Google car you can be as drunk as
> you want to be and drive back home or just sit back and let the car
> drive you home. Laws wouldn't have to be made at all, really, unless for
> underage drivers and such.
> 
> Humans are greedy creatures. The Google car isn't pushy. To prove this,
> I would say watch the videos about the Google car found below this huge
> message that I'm writing out. Humans merge so they can pass others,
> etc., thus, more roads would need to be built because the instinct of us
> people is to just merge onto the next lane and pass. The Google car is
> courteous, allowing people to pass, merging behind cars to free up road
> space, etc. of course, you can already set the GPS to take you the
> fastest route or… whatever option there is… laughing out loud.
> 
> I want to talk about theft, just because absolutely no one has covered
> this before. With the NFB car if someone steals equipment, you can't
> drive it can you? You’d have to get it toad, all because you were
> missing the seat strips. Yes, people steal weird stuff. It happens.
> Also, if you’re going to a job interview, or something, where would you
> put all that gear after you get in there? You forget, sighted people can
> just hop in a car and go, thus stealing your car without even needing
> any special gloves. Since the Google car, right now, starts with a
> hotkey on a computer keyboard it wouldn't be hard to implement
> fingerprint technology to make sure this doesn't happen. By the way, I
> don’t want to sit for an extra 7 minutes making sure all my gear is on.
> 
> This is just nit-picking, and doesn't make a logical argument but I'm
> going to say it anyway. If I'm on a date with some gorgeous guy I want
> to hold his hand while I'm driving with him. It’s cute and romantic. In
> the NFB car I wouldn't be able to do that, thus, I’d be pouting all the
> way to the restaurant. Seriously if you all, if you had a gorgeous man
> sitting next to you wouldn’t you want to hold his hand? LOL. The Google
> car allows me to do this with no problem. I want to touch my sweet
> chocolate dang it! LOL. I am a young man, after all, I have needs! Ahem,
> moving on.
> 
> You won’t be able to control the NFB car via phone. With the Google car
> you will. You can have it drop you off and then park, and then swig by
> to pick you up. Since the car will operate via computer, there's no
> question that will be a feature.
> 
> What if you have to take a lot of equipment for your job? You can't eat
> and drive in the NFB car, etc.
> 
> I believe I have said everything that I want to say. For the rest, let
> me repeat multiple times, watch the videos I posted about the BBC and
> the blind driver driving the Google car. I've included them below, by
> the way. I've posted enough news articles about the subject but if you
> need more I'll send it along.
> 
> I seriously don't understand why the NFB are not behind this. This is
> the definition of a new kind of independence. The NFB shouldn’t be
> trying to push their car out to people because they made their blind
> drivable car. If the NFB is all about equality then we as NFB people,
> and yes ACB people too, should back this car without question, not
> trying to be celebrities because we have also made a car. The more
> support from all caps, the sooner this will become a sweet, sweet
> reality. See below for the videos.
> 
> Google car. BBC video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlJU7GgBMmY
> 
> Google's self-driving car. Cell phone shot.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unS_WdnyDQY
> 
> CNN test-drives Google’s "self-driving car"
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCpPPVvGqTY
> 
> Google's Self-Driving Car Coming Soon? 2013.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI2pRwcw8ew
> 
> Blind man driving the Google car with audio description.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peDy2st2XpQ
> 
> 
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