[nfb-talk] NFB Blind Driver Challenge was RE: APPLICATION FOR LOAN

Mike Freeman k7uij at panix.com
Wed Mar 6 03:06:13 UTC 2013


No. But having succeeded in proving the concept, we're examining where we
should go from here.

Having said this, however, I suspect that our financial austerity concerns
are making us think long and hard before we take the "next step" -- whatever
it may be.

You'll have to speak to Dr. Maurer about this as I have no inside knowledge.

Mike Freeman


-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ray Foret
Jr
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 6:03 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] NFB Blind Driver Challenge was RE: APPLICATION FOR
LOAN

"were trying to develop"?  That makes it sound like the NFB has abandoned
the blind driver challenge.  Have we?


Sent from my mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the blind
built-in!
Sincerely,
The Constantly Barefooted Ray
Still a very proud and happy Mac and Iphone user!

On Mar 5, 2013, at 7:53 PM, "Chris Nusbaum" <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear Bryan and list:
> 
> Although I don't claim to be an expert on this project, I don't think ego
on the part of the Federation was as much a factor as the difference in the
ideas and philosophies behind the two cars. Basically, Google is trying to
develop a car which can drive itself, whereas the NFB and Virginia Tech were
trying to develop a car which blind people would actually be able to *drive*
on our own, just as sighted people already do.
> 
> At the 2011 state convention of the NFB of Maryland, I interviewed 
> Mark Riccobono about the Blind Driver Challenge for a research project 
> I was doing for school. When I asked him about the differences between 
> the NFB's project and Google's, he explained to me that the main 
> difference between the two initiatives was what they were trying to 
> accomplish. Although Google's idea is a good one and he has nothing 
> against it, he told me that Google's self-driving car would make the 
> driver almost completely reliant on the car's technology. As we all 
> know, technology is not perfect and is known to malfunction sometimes. 
> The technology in the autonomous car would not only be responsible for 
> gathering information about the conditions on the road, but also for 
> actually driving the car. In contrast, the technology in the NFB Blind 
> Driver car would only be responsible for gathering information about 
> what's going on on the road and feeding that information to the 
> driver. According to Mark, the technology would give information to 
> the blind driver, who can then use his/her own mental compasity to 
> react to the situation, just as sighted people already have to. This 
> idea, Mark said, (I'm paraphraising here) comes from our philosophy in 
> the Federation that blind people have the mental capacity and 
> capabilities to compete on equal terms with our sighted peers given 
> the proper training and opportunity. For more information about the 
> background of the Blind Driver Challenge, you might read an article 
> about the project written by Mark Riccobono which appeared in the 
> December 2009 Braille Monitor. You can find this article at the 
> following link: 
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm09/bm0911/bm091103.htm
> 
> Now, don't misinterpret what I'm saying. I'm not at all against the idea
of the self-driving car; quite the contrary. I am fascinated by and fully
support the efforts of Google and others to create a self-driving car and I
look forward to the day when we will finally be able to drive independently,
whether in a self-driving or a blind-drivable car. Hopefully it will happen
in my lifetime and I will be able to experience this for myself. In the
meantime, let's watch what happens and support whichever initiative produces
a car which we can operate.
> 
> Chris Nusbaum, Co-Chair
> Public Relations Committee
> Maryland Association of Blind Students
> Phone: (443) 547-2409
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bryan 
> Schulz
> Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 6:48 PM
> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
> 
> hi,
> 
> you are correct sir and i'm not saying it was a mistake, just an insane
expense and ego probably was a factor in not wanting to share technology and
press with google.
> i think the google car has a couple hundred thousand test miles from
running in nevada or california.
> Bryan Schulz
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 5:31 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
> 
> 
>> Think he refers to the blind-drivable car.
>> 
>> Mike Freeman
>> sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On Mar 5, 2013, at 14:48, Paul Wick <wickps at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Brian,
>>> 
>>> What is the $2 million you are referring to?
>>> 
>>> To add to what Mr. Freeman said: As you probably know several NFB 
>>> employees, many of whom have devoted a good part of their lives to 
>>> the Federation lost their jobs last year due to budget reductions. 
>>> Running any kind of organization requires setting priorities, and at 
>>> least to this rank-and-file member I think our priorities should be 
>>> basically as they are-that is on activities that keep the NFB 
>>> message in the public eye.
>>> 
>>> Best,
>>> 
>>> Paul
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 3/5/13, Bryan Schulz <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>> hi,
>>>> 
>>>> it was a choice, we know where 2 mil went.
>>>> Bryan Schulz
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
>>>> To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 3:02 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> It is pretty simple, really. The NFB Board of Directors decided 
>>>>> that, given the current financial crunch, we could not afford to 
>>>>> continue the loan program. If we all raise more funds for the 
>>>>> organization, perhaps we
>>>>> 
>>>>> could bring the program back.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Mike Freeman
>>>>> sent from my iPhone
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Mar 5, 2013, at 10:39, "Powers, Terry (NIH/NCI) [E]"
>>>>> <Terry.Powers at nih.gov> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> What was the reason for stopping the loan.  I do not remember 
>>>>>> hearing any
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> word of this.  Guess I can not depend on the NFB for any assistance. 
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> was going to, in the near future, maybe.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Terry Powers
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Mike Freeman [mailto:k7uij at panix.com]
>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2013 7:39 PM
>>>>>> To: 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Correct.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Mike
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
>>>>>> David Andrews
>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2013 3:27 PM
>>>>>> To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] APPLICATION FOR LOAN
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> If I remember correctly, the technology loan program was
discontinued.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Dave
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> At 09:50 AM 2/27/2013, you wrote:
>>>>>>> Good morning all.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Can anyone tell me who i can contact in order to get an 
>>>>>>> application for a loan through the NFB?  I am going to need to 
>>>>>>> make sure I have an alternate route for acquiring what I will 
>>>>>>> need in order to get through the braille transcription course 
>>>>>>> without a lot of static.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I want to purchase a 40-cell braille display because it is hard 
>>>>>>> to proofread with an 18-cell display.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Thank you.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> anita
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
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>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> bcglobal.net
>>>> 
>>>> 
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