[Promotion-technology] Fwd: Article from Minneapolis Star-Tribune Science And Technology 2010 07 02

[David Andrews]

Well, it isn't like we only work on one issue at 
a time.  We do lots of things at the same 
time.  Even if we are never able to drive from 
this research -- it holds lots of benefits -- 
they are figuring out how to get lots of data 
streams to us at the same time, not just using our ears.

Also, if it does work, think of how many jobs 
would be opened up if we could drive!

Don't think small.  Maybe this is our race for the moon!

Dave

At 03:42 AM 7/6/2010, you wrote:
>Driving a car? Really! Now, let us imagine the 
>reversed statistics of an 80% employment rate, a 
>20% unemployment rate and a 90% literacy 
>rate.  Let us “drive” home the point of good 
>education, job training, and a competitive edge 
>for blind and partially sighted individuals 
>making us more marketable in this society.  As a 
>blind person, I am open to innovation and new 
>ideas; however, I strongly believe that more 
>pressing issues exist that need to be solved 
>first. --- On Sun, 7/4/10, David Andrews 
><dandrews at visi.com> wrote: > From: David Andrews 
><dandrews at visi.com> > Subject: 
>[Promotion-technology] Fwd: Article from 
>Minneapolis Star-Tribune Science And Technology 
>2010 07 02 > To: nfb-announce at nfbnet.org > Date: 
>Sunday, July 4, 2010, 2:29 PM > > > From: 
>NFB-NEWSLINE Online <nfbnewsline at nfb.org> > > 
>To: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> > > 
>Subject: Article from Minneapolis Star-Tribune 
>Science > And Technology 2010 07 02 > > Date: 
>Sun, > >Â Â Â 4 Jul 2010 00:51:42 -0400 
>(EDT) > > > > That driver must be blind! Someday 
>he may be; group to > show high-tech car the 
>blind can drive  >    By KEN THOMAS 
>,  Associated > Press         WASHINGTON 
>- > 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 was announcing its 
>plans > for the vehicle demonstration at a news 
>conference Friday in > Daytona Beach, Fla. 
>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. 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."Â Â Â ___Â Â Â Online:Â Â Â 
>National > Federation of the 
>Blind:  http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Default.asp  >    ©

                         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
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