[Quietcars] Blind driver takes Google car for a spin

[Mary Ellen]

When cars become reliable enough to avoid collisions automatically, most
will be pleased to be relieved of the chore of paying continuous attention
during their commute.  Others will miss exhibiting their driving skills.
Getting people to trust the technology will be harder than developing it.

I hope our Blind Driver Challenge work will result in smart vehicle systems
being developed accessibly.  It has certainly raised the consciousness of
the public and let them know how much we want the freedom of being part of
the driving public.  Good arguments can be made for less private
transportation and more reliance on public systems.  I agree with those
arguments.  So long as the car is king, however, I want to be one of the
acolytes behind the wheel.



-----Original Message-----
From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Robert Wilson
Sent: April 4, 2012 7:24 AM
To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Quietcars] Blind driver takes Google car for a spin


This is the title to a recent article from
MSNBC:http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/01/10943531-blind-driver
-takes-google-car-for-a-spin
Quoting:
"A blind guy driving a car? That was the latest step in Google's
two-year-old program to develop a self-driving car.A video released last
week on YouTube shows Steve Mahan, who is almost totally blind, behind the
wheel of a Toyota Prius, running errands to Taco Bell and the dry
cleaners."Look Ma, no hands, and no feet!" Mahan says as the car steers
autonomously along a carefully planned route. "This is some of the best
driving I've ever done."Google announced its self-driving car project in
2010, building on research started by a StanfordUniversity that won a $2
million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency challenge. . . ."
A subset of these sensors is the basis of accident avoidance systems that
protect both the driver and pedestrians. Never tired, sleepy or distracted,
these automated systems can (and will eventually) make a substantial
reduction in accidents and their resulting fatalities and injuries.
Bob Wilson 		 	   		  
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