So for this post's new technology is a car driven by the blind. Now I know some of you are immediately preparing for the next time you drive on the road by grabbing your racing helmet, strapping a couple of pillows to yourself, and having a roll cage installed on your car after hearing this, but it isn't as crazy of an idea as it sounds. Students at Virginia Tech have actually built a go-cart like vehicle that a blind person can successfully and safely drive. This insane idea can actually be thought of as a larger version of those toy robots that kids can buy that make certain actions after waving your hand in front of the toy or something to that extent. This is because lasers are used in both the car and the toy to recognize obstacles near the object. The car uses more advanced systems which provide distance information and, through voice commands, tell the driver how far to turn the steering. The drivers also wear a vest which vibrates in different places to signal the driver to speed up, slow down, or, if need be, slam on brakes. A map system called Airpix will be used to allow the driver to read the map similarly to how one reads Braille by shooting air through small holes in the map to give a layout of the area. The developers of this car say they are a long way off from perfecting this technology and other obstacles such as laws prohibiting blind drivers must be overcome before the technology will ever be seen on the road.
I'm sure some of you reading this post are thinking "why not just make a car that drives itself", but the idea of this car is not only to allow the blind to have their own transportation but also to give the blind a sense of freedom and control. This would provide not only a better life but could have positive psychological impacts for the blind. Also this technology might one day be applied to all cars to give all drivers more ways in which to be alert to potential danger on the road.
And if this car is one day seen on the road then I guess Criss Angel is out one trick. his blind driving skills won't be so impressive since the whole neighborhood might be driving blind. :)
Also a great technology, although it will take a lot of practice by those blind people who choose to use this technology in order for them to be able to safely drive on the road. Also, this seems to be very similar to how a bat travels, but instead of using sound waves it uses lasers. So it makes sense that because of this similarity this is definitely possible for people to be able to use technology like this to drive. A lot more time, research, and funding will need to be put into this for it to be made safe for everyone though.
ReplyDeleteThe new technology discussed in this post is very interesting because I have a blind cousin. Even though she lacks the ability to distinguish between objects, she is one of the smartest five years old I have interacted with. It would be very beneficial for her to drive a car. Not only will it enable her into becoming more independent but it will also take away most of the responsiilites her parents have towards her. If this new invention were to be accepted by society, I believe that the blind would enjoy more freedom and independence.
ReplyDelete