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

Gary Wunder gwunder at earthlink.net
Wed Jul 7 16:39:13 UTC 2010 

Hello William.  The statistics you cite should be reversed, but 
the question is not which issues we should tackle, but to 
acknowledge that all are tied together.  Many a small business 
resides where there is no public transportation.  Many jobs have 
work hours which demand flexibility a public transportation 
system cannot accommodate.  These are problems being able to 
drive ourselves would help to solve, but our blind driver 
challenge is a priority because we want better to understand how 
to do more jobs, take better advantage of our remaining senses, 
and to figure out a way to harness technologies which now require 
vision to serve those of us who don't have it.

Just a perspective to add to your thoughtful consideration of 
what we do.

Warmly,

Gary



> ----- Original Message -----
>From: William ODonnell <william.odonnell1 at yahoo.com
>To: Evaluation and Advancement of TechnologyCommittee on the 
Promotion<promotion-technology at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 01:42:58 -0700 (PDT)
>Subject: Re: [Promotion-technology] Fwd: Article from 
MinneapolisStar-Tribune Science And Technology 2010 07 02

>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,
>>>   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."   ___   Online:   National
>> Federation of the Blind:  http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Default.asp 
>>    © 2010 Star Tribune.  All rights
>> reserved.           
>>    .

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>>> The NFB-NEWSLINE® Team.

>>                
>>         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
>> Follow me on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/dandrews920


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