Car for Blind Drivers to be Driven at Speedway

The second-generation prototype car for blind drivers will be driven early next year at the Daytona International Speedway, according to the National Federation of the Blind, the largest organization of blind people in the U.S.

We reported on the prototype this time last year when technology that helped a blind person drive independently was implemented on a dune buggy. This year, NFB and Virginia Tech, the joint venture behind the project, will present the technology on a Ford Escape and plan on testing their creation within the next six months. 

Unlike some driverless prototypes we’ve seen in the past, this blind-friendly vehicle would be completely under the control of someone who’s visually impaired. 

To make this work, researchers have been working on non-visual interfaces that can relay information about a driver’s surroundings. These non-visual cues could include tactile gloves, a vibrating chest plate and audible commands. 

The coolest part on the Ford Escape prototype has to be something called “AirPix,” which would send multiple bursts of air through a sheet of paper, acting like a three-dimensional Braille reader. 

NFB and Virginia Tech plan on testing the vehicle with a driver who is blind on Jan. 29, 2011, at Daytona International Speedway before the 2011 Rolex 24 race. 

High-tech car for blind people may become reality (Minnesota Public Radio)