If this could really work, that would be cool.! Becky
-------------------------------------------------- From: "Delma" <dbl...@centurytel.net> Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 10:23 AM To: "RecipesAndMore" <RecipesAndMore@googlegroups.com>; "AudioPluss" <audiopl...@googlegroups.com> Subject: [RecipesAndMore] Blind can take wheel with new vehicle > > > Blind can take wheel with new vehicle > > >> Mark Riccobono, executive director of the National Federation of the >> Blind’s >> Jernigan Institute, drives the Virginia Tech Blind Driver Challenge >> vehicle >> through an obstacle course of traffic cones on a campus parking lot. In >> the >> passenger seat is Greg Jannaman, who led the student team within the >> mechanical engineering department during the past year, and is monitoring >> the software of the vehicle. Credit: Steven Mackay, Virginia Tech >> >> A student team in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering is providing >> the >> blind with an opportunity many never thought possible: The opportunity to >> drive. >> >> A retrofitted four-wheel dirt buggy developed by the Blind Driver >> Challenge >> team (http://www.me.vt.edu/blinddriver/) from Virginia Tech's Robotics >> and >> Mechanisms Laboratory uses laser range finders, an instant voice command >> interface and a host of other innovative, cutting-edge technology to >> guide >> blind drivers as they steer, brake, and accelerate. Although in the early >> testing stage, the National Federation of the Blind -- which spurred the >> project -- considers the vehicle a major breakthrough for independent >> living >> of the visually impaired. >> >> "It was great!" said Wes Majerus, of Baltimore, the first blind person to >> drive the buggy on a closed course at the Virginia Tech campus this >> summer. >> Majerus is an access technology specialist with the National Federation >> of >> the Blind's Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, a research and training >> institute dedicated to developing technologies and services to help the >> blind achieve independence. >> >> Majerus called his drive a liberating experience, adding that he drove >> before on Nebraska farm roads with his father as a guide in the passenger >> seat. >> >> Sitting inside the vehicle, a blind driver can turn the steering wheel, >> stop >> and accelerate by following data from a computing unit that uses sensory >> information from the laser range finder serving as the 'eyes' of the >> driver, >> in addition to a combination of voice commands and a vibrating vest as >> guides. A member of the Virginia Tech student team sat next to Majerus in >> the passenger seat to monitor the system's software operations. >> >> "It's a great first step," Majerus added. "As far as the differences >> between >> human instructions and those given by the voice in the Blind Driver >> Challenge car, the car's instructions are very precise. You use the >> technology to act on the environment -- the driving course -- in a very >> orderly manner. In some cases, the human passenger will be vague, "turn >> left" -- does that mean just a small turn to the left, or are we going >> for >> large amounts of turn?" >> >> Also driving the vehicle was Mark Riccobono, also of Baltimore, the >> executive director of the Jernigan Institute, who also is blind. He >> called >> his test drive historic. "This is sort of our going to the moon project," >> he >> said >> >> In 2004 Jernigan Institute challenged university research teams to >> develop >> a >> vehicle that would one day allow the blind to drive. Virginia Tech was >> the >> only university in the nation to accept the nonprofit's call two years >> later, said Dennis Hong, director of the Robotics and Mechanisms >> Laboratory, >> part of the Virginia Tech mechanical engineering department. The National >> Federation of the Blind provided a $3,000 grant to launch the project. >> >> "I thought it would be a very rewarding project, helping the blind," said >> Hong, the current faculty adviser on the project. "We are not only >> excited >> about the vehicle itself, but more than that, we are excited about the >> potential of the many spin-off technologies from this project that can be >> used for helping the blind in so many ways." >> >> The team will bring the Blind Driver Challenge vehicle to the National >> Federation of the Blind's Youth Slam summer camp event held July 26 >> through >> Aug. 1 in College Park, Md. There, the team hopes to have teenagers who >> would be obtaining their driver's licenses, but cannot because of their >> blindness, drive the buggy. >> >> Wesley Majerus, an access technology specialist with the National >> Federation >> of the Blind’s Jernigan Institute, finishes driving the Virginia Tech >> Blind >> Driver Challenge vehicle around a roped-off driving course on a campus >> parking lot. The experience, he said, was liberating. >> >> Youth participants also are expected to remote control drive miniature >> cars. >> Additionally, the car is expected to ride in a National Federation of the >> Blind-sponsored parade in Washington D.C. >> >> "I most look forward to learning as much as I can from these bright young >> students," said Greg Jannaman, who led the Virginia Tech student team in >> his >> senior year and graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in mechanical >> engineering. "Blind students from across the nation apply to be selected >> to >> attend this summer camp. While we are there to provide an educational >> experience for them, I can only imagine the invaluable feedback and fresh >> new ideas that they will provide in return." >> >> Jannaman is excited about the vehicle's success. "There wasn't a moment's >> hesitation with any of our blind drivers, whereas blind-folded sighted >> drivers weren't as quick to let go of their preconceptions," said >> Jannaman >> of Hendersonville, Tenn. "The blind drivers actually performed better >> than >> their sighted counterparts. An overwhelming sense of accomplishment >> overcame >> me as I simply rode along while Wes and Mark successfully navigated the >> driving course without my assistance." >> >> Early models of the Blind Driver Challenge vehicle relied more on >> technologies for fully autonomous vehicles, previously developed by >> Virginia >> Tech mechanical engineering students as part of the DARPA Urban >> Challenge. >> The student team redesigned the vehicle so that the blind motorist has >> complete control of the driving process, as any sighted driver would. >> >> This change in approach led to new challenges, including how to >> effectively >> convey the high bandwidth of information from the laser sensors scanning >> the >> vehicle's surrounding environment to the driver fast enough and accurate >> enough to allow safe driving. As a result, the team developed non-visual >> interface technologies, including a vibrating vest for feedback on speed, >> a >> click counter steering wheel with audio cues, spoken commands for >> directional feedback, and a unique tactile map interface that utilizes >> compressed air to provide information about the road and obstacles >> surrounding the vehicle. >> >> Riccobono knows of mock ups and non-working "blind driver car" set-ups >> from >> the past, but says this is the first working vehicle to put the blind and >> visually impaired in control of the steering wheel. "Blind people have >> brains, the capacity to make decisions," he said. "Blind people want to >> live >> independent lives, why would they not want to drive?" >> >> Even once the technology is perfected, laws now barring the blind from >> driving and public perception must be changed, Riccobono said. "This is >> the >> piece that we know will be the most difficult," said Riccobono, adding >> that >> the car must be near-perfected before the National Federation of the >> Blind >> can truly push the car to law-makers and the general public. He said this >> effort will take millions of dollars in development. >> >> The 2009-10 student team already is planning major changes to the >> technology, including replacing the dirt buggy vehicle with a fully >> electric >> car commonly used by traffic officers in downtown city centers. The >> all-electric vehicle would reduce the vibration which can cause problems >> to >> the laser sensor, and it will provide clean electric power for the >> computing >> units and that is better for the environment. >> >> Source: Virginia Tech (news : web) >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------ >> >> e-mail commands. to go no mail enter, and hit send on the following >> links. >> blindhandygirl-nom...@yahoogroups.com >> To return, >> blindhandygirl-nor...@yahoogroups.com Yahoo! Groups Links >> >> <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: >> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandygirl/ >> >> <*> Your email settings: >> Individual Email | Traditional >> >> <*> To change settings online go to: >> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blindhandygirl/join >> (Yahoo! 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