Former IndyCar racer, quadriplegic Sam Schmidt gets driver’s license for semi-autonomous car
- 8 years ago
DENVER — Late last month, former IndyCar racer Sam Schmidt became the first man in the U.S. to receive a semi-autonomous driver’s license.
Schmidt lost control of his arms and legs during a practice lap in 2000. In September, Nevada Lieutenant Governor Mark Hutchison awarded Schmidt the first restricted license in the country to drive a semi-autonomous car.
One of Schmidt’s sponsors, Arrow Electronics, had modified a 2014 Corvette Z06 with technology that will allow him to control the car without the use of his limbs.
The car, aptly nicknamed the Arrow SAM Car — SAM as in semi-autonomous motorcar — is equipped with a voice command system, infrared camera system, a breath manipulation system, GPS technology and 4G-LTE connectivity.
Voice commands allow Schmidt to turn the car off and on and change gears.
Infrared cameras mounted on the car’s dashboard pick up sensors mounted onto a hat, which Schmidt wears when driving. When Schmidt turns his head, the infrared camera system picks up the motion and translates it into steering.
To control acceleration and braking, a sip/puff system has been installed. A breathing apparatus allows Schmidt to accelerate the car by blowing air into a tube. To engage the brakes, Schmidt sucks air out of the tube. Pressure sensors send signals to the car.
GPS technology provides additional guidance assistance. Using sensors on the back of the car, the system will keep the car within 1.5 meters of the edge of the road or track. Schmidt has a virtual envelope of about 10 meters wide within which he can steer.
An overall safety system ensures that signals sent by Schmidt are properly translated into the car’s movements.
The car is also linked to an Arrow 4G-LTE gateway that runs Windows 10 Enterprise on an Intel server. The Arrow 4G-LTE collects, streams and stores API-accessible data in Microsoft’s Azure cloud service.
The license requires Schmidt to have a passenger inside the vehicle at all times. As a result, Arrow has equipped the car with a pilot control option that allows the passenger to take over driving if necessary.
Additionally, the license calls for a pilot car to be driven in front of the Arrow SAM Car at all times, acting as a barrier between Schmidt and other drivers on the road. In emergency cases where the pilot driver isn’t able to gain control, the Arrow SAM Car could run into the pilot vehicle.
Schmidt was able to attain 152 mph in the car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May and drove the Pikes Peak International in June.
Schmidt lost control of his arms and legs during a practice lap in 2000. In September, Nevada Lieutenant Governor Mark Hutchison awarded Schmidt the first restricted license in the country to drive a semi-autonomous car.
One of Schmidt’s sponsors, Arrow Electronics, had modified a 2014 Corvette Z06 with technology that will allow him to control the car without the use of his limbs.
The car, aptly nicknamed the Arrow SAM Car — SAM as in semi-autonomous motorcar — is equipped with a voice command system, infrared camera system, a breath manipulation system, GPS technology and 4G-LTE connectivity.
Voice commands allow Schmidt to turn the car off and on and change gears.
Infrared cameras mounted on the car’s dashboard pick up sensors mounted onto a hat, which Schmidt wears when driving. When Schmidt turns his head, the infrared camera system picks up the motion and translates it into steering.
To control acceleration and braking, a sip/puff system has been installed. A breathing apparatus allows Schmidt to accelerate the car by blowing air into a tube. To engage the brakes, Schmidt sucks air out of the tube. Pressure sensors send signals to the car.
GPS technology provides additional guidance assistance. Using sensors on the back of the car, the system will keep the car within 1.5 meters of the edge of the road or track. Schmidt has a virtual envelope of about 10 meters wide within which he can steer.
An overall safety system ensures that signals sent by Schmidt are properly translated into the car’s movements.
The car is also linked to an Arrow 4G-LTE gateway that runs Windows 10 Enterprise on an Intel server. The Arrow 4G-LTE collects, streams and stores API-accessible data in Microsoft’s Azure cloud service.
The license requires Schmidt to have a passenger inside the vehicle at all times. As a result, Arrow has equipped the car with a pilot control option that allows the passenger to take over driving if necessary.
Additionally, the license calls for a pilot car to be driven in front of the Arrow SAM Car at all times, acting as a barrier between Schmidt and other drivers on the road. In emergency cases where the pilot driver isn’t able to gain control, the Arrow SAM Car could run into the pilot vehicle.
Schmidt was able to attain 152 mph in the car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May and drove the Pikes Peak International in June.