[Nfbf-l] Why can't the blind drive?

[TaraPrakash]

Braille Monitor, February 2010.

      From the Editor: The following article describes the work that
students in the Virginia Tech engineering program are undertaking to create
a vehicle that blind people can drive. Business Wire News Releases, in
cooperation with Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation, published this
release on November 16, 2009. Here it is:
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      Driving can be tedious if you can see. But for the blind driving is
one of life's most sorely missed conveniences. It means independence--the
exhilarating possibility of simply going someplace without depending on
friends, family, or public transportation schedules. A team of Virginia
Tech students is trying to make this possible by helping blind drivers see
with their hands and ears, and SolidWorks® CAD software is helping them.
      "Many blind people prefer the concept of driving as opposed to being
driven," says Kimberly Wenger, senior and student leader of the Virginia
Tech Blind Driver Challenge (BDC) project. "There's really no reason the
blind can't drive someday, and they're already proving it in our semi-
autonomous vehicle. The next step is perfecting the technology so they can
drive on the open road without endangering anyone. Admittedly that's a big
challenge."
      Blind individuals have been driving Virginia Tech's specially
equipped dune buggy in parking lots throughout the summer. They have full
control of the steering, accelerator, and brakes. They follow computer-
generated steering commands, e.g., "two clicks to the right," delivered
through headphones. The steering wheel emits an audible click for every
five degrees it's turned. A vibrating vest signals the driver to slow or
stop. The on-board computer produces directions based on data about the
car's surroundings collected by a laser on the front of the car.
      The Virginia Tech BDC team used SolidWorks to perfect the design of
the roulette-style click wheel. "We used SolidWorks to design numerous
concepts for the click wheel's internal mechanisms and to conduct several
structured-design reviews," said Wenger. "SolidWorks helped us visualize
everyone's ideas, narrow them down, detect interference, and choose the
best design. Thanks to the reviews, our consensus design has worked
flawlessly from day one." The team also used SolidWorks to design the
dashboard panel and battery holder and drive the laser cutting of the
parts.
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                    The Next Frontier: Driving Decisions
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      As wonderful as it is for the blind to drive, the BDC team isn't
satisfied. Why should the blind be told how to drive by a computerized
master, rather than make driving decisions themselves?
      Consequently the next major feature on the BDC vehicle will be a
breakthrough device that gives drivers a real-time tactile topographical
map of their surroundings so they can make their own decisions on turning,
slowing down, or stopping. Through this device, called the AirPix, drivers
will detect terrain through their fingertips. AirPix works something like
an air hockey table, with pressure being forced upwards through pin holes.
Stronger pressures indicate obstacles. The team is using SolidWorks to
design that device too.
      "SolidWorks has an easy and intuitive user interface that is ideal
for concept generation, visualization, and virtual prototyping," said
Wenger. "It's making our design decisions much more objective and helping
us eliminate errors. Every day we get a little closer to our ultimate
goal."
      The Virginia Tech Blind Driver Challenge project team consists of
twelve mechanical engineering students working under Dr. Dennis Hong in his
world-renowned Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa). The project is
the school's response to a challenge issued by the National Federation of
the Blind Jernigan Institute, which is dedicated to helping the blind
achieve independence. Virginia Tech was the only organization that dared to
tackle the challenge.