>From the Braille Monitor, October 2013
The Blind Driver Challenge, the Quest for the Salt, and the Continued
Journey of Innovation and Adventure
by Mark A. Riccobono
From the Editor: In a world where there is always more need than
resource, an oft-repeated question we must address is how best to use our
limited money and talent to advance the cause of blind people. Some argue
for the bold and suggest we focus on those projects others dare not
attempt; others suggest that, as long as the blind face so much poverty and
unemployment, we should focus our efforts exclusively on improving
education and rehabilitation. Acknowledging the arguments on both sides and
those arguments that fall between, we strive to meet the needs of today
while looking to the future we want to see for the blind.
Mark Riccobono is the first blind person ever to drive a vehicle
without sighted assistance in front of thousands at a public event. Here is
his most recent experience, this time as an observer, as we try
incrementally to tackle one of the most persistent barriers faced by the
blind-transportation:
[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Parker and Mark Riccobono pose with the motorcycle that
made Salt Flats history.]
In 2011 we held the first public demonstration of technologies built
under the Blind Driver Challenge (BDC) of the NFB. It took almost a decade
of dreaming out loud, tolerating friendly nods by individuals who thought
we were out of our minds, and overcoming our own uneasiness before we were
able to secure partners to work with us on the vision for blind drivers
that our president, Marc Maurer, laid out for us. When we finally had the
breakthrough with bright partners who were prepared to go the distance with
us, we knew we needed a place for the first demonstration that fit the
significance of the moment. The famed Daytona International Speedway had
the type of reputation equal to the challenge, and we prepared for a public
demonstration that would help the rest of the world notice our capacity as
blind people. Federationists came from all parts of the country to share
the moment, even though some were still uncertain about the outcome and
whether it was worth the sacrifice of resources that might be used for
other important goals.
As you know, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 29, 2011, I jumped
into our NFB Blind Driver Challenge car, gave a thumbs up, honked the horn,
and drove 1.5 miles of the Daytona road course. People often ask me, "What
was it like to drive at Daytona?" And I still have trouble describing it
exactly. Until this week I never fully understood why. This article is
partially a report on the progress of our Blind Driver Challenge
initiative, partially the story of our second critical milestone in that
effort, and partially an open reflection of why the Daytona question has
been hard to answer.
Since the Daytona demonstration we have continued to present our
vision for the "intersection of innovation," wherein blind people actively
participate in building cutting-edge technologies side by side with the
most creative inventors we can find. Sometimes we have discussed the next
component needed to make blind driving a reality for all. At other times we
have speculated about how our experience and perspective will intersect
with the general direction of driving technology (both in the driverless
car movement and within the traditional model of today's transportation
systems). We have talked with universities, technology companies,
designers, car companies, and hundreds of individuals whose perspective has
been changed as a result of getting to know our blind driver work. Flying
airplanes, riding bikes, and enhancing traditional navigation techniques
are just some of the topics we have explored. While many ideas continue to
get kicked around, some proposals slowly circulate, and an increasing
number of important connections get made every month, there is not an
immediate Daytona-like milestone identified in the immediate future. The
true innovative nature of the Federation is that we are always seeking to
expand the horizons of independence. It is our organizational readiness
that allows us to quickly take advantage of the right strategic partners
when they come.
Enter Dan Parker-a sighted drag racer who hit a wall at 175 MPH on
March 31, 2012, leaving him completely blind, along with other significant
injuries. After eight months of recuperating and lying around not knowing
what he could do as a blind person, Dan made up his mind. He had been
riding motorcycles since he was eight, and he had extensive experience
around, on, and in cars and motorcycles. He had always had a dream of
racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Dan decided that the way to
overcome the fears and limitations he had associated with blindness was to
pursue his quest for the Salt-to build and independently run his own
motorcycle out on the Salt Flats at a sanctioned event.
Dan wrote to me because he wanted to learn more about our Blind
Driver Challenge work. Before I could get back to Dan, he got in touch with
Joanne Wilson. Joanne called me and asked if I would talk to Dan. Knowing
that Joanne is not fooled easily, I said I would call him. Admittedly, the
only thing that stuck in my head was that a guy went blind not long ago,
has had no training as a blind person, and wants to race a motorcycle. I
wondered to myself whether this guy was just trying to avoid the fact that
he was blind or whether he really had a good plan. It did not take long
during my first telephone conversation with Dan to realize that I was
speaking to a guy who is humble, driven, ready to learn, and eager to give
back. Since that first call I have had the opportunity to break bread with
Dan, talk in depth about his quest and his hopes for the future, and
speculate with him about where we might go next. Dan quickly found his
local NFB chapter in Columbus, Georgia, and his spirit, actions, and words
naturally resemble those of longtime Federationists even though he has
known the organization for only a short time.
For true racers "running at the Salt" is a big deal. The Bonneville
Salt Flats is a densely packed salt pan that sits at an elevation of 4,219
feet in northwestern Utah. The area is said to be a remnant of the
Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, and, at forty square miles in size, it is the
largest of many salt flats located west of the Great Salt Lake. The
property is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and it
was first tested for driving in 1907. The first land speed record was set
at Bonneville in 1914 by Teddy Tetzlaff.
The Bonneville Speedway-as it is commonly known-is frequently
misunderstood to be a space for drag racing. Since the salt is somewhat
slick, maintaining traction is a major concern of every racer. Therefore,
the salt surface is not ideal for the objective of drag racing-rapid
acceleration over a short period of time. The objective for racers at
Bonneville is tremendous speeds achieved over great distances. Cars start
slower than many expect, but they ultimately achieve mind-blowing speeds.
With the tremendous open space at the flats there is plenty of room to get
up to speed and decelerate safely.
Five major land-speed events take place at the Bonneville Salt Flats
(many other club and private events take place during the year). Three of
these events welcome cars, trucks, and motorcycles-Speed Week (mid-August),
World of Speed (September), and World Finals (early October). World records
are contested at the Mike Cook ShootOut in September. The fifth event is
the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials, which is exclusively for motorcycles. A
series of timing associations organize events and certify speed records.
Dan came to the NFB Jernigan Institute to learn more about the
techniques and technologies used in our Blind Driver Challenge vehicle. Dan
shared his quest with Dr. Maurer, including his plan to build his own
customized motorcycle (doing the design and machining himself), equipping
it with a GPS guidance system allowing him to drive the two-mile course
independently, and entering it into the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials. No
blind person had ever entered the BUB event, and Dan had already
successfully lobbied the organizers of the event to accept his application.
After meeting with Dan extensively and recognizing that his quest fit
within the vision for our NFB Blind Driver Challenge initiative, Dr. Maurer
agreed to the NFB's sponsoring Dan's quest. While Dan had made significant
progress on his own, he credits the NFB sponsorship for giving his quest
the resources it needed to make it the final mile and giving him a support
network and credibility that are unparalleled.
At Dr. Maurer's direction I began working closely with Dan, providing
him with the experience of our previous blind-driver work and receiving
regular updates on his testing. About one week out from the BUB event, we
all agreed that Dan and his machine were ready for prime time. I made my
plans to head to the Salt Flats, along with Ilana Posner from our Jernigan
Institute staff. Despite our advance work we really had no idea what to
expect.
Events at the Salt are different from anything I have ever
encountered. It starts with the drive to the Salt. We took Interstate 80,
exit 4, toward Bonneville/Speedway. We turned left on Leppy Pass Road. Then
we made a slight right onto Bonneville Speedway Road-which stretched out
for five miles, at which point the ground around us was desert-like. The
five-mile trip brought us to a cul-de-sac where we had to secure admission
to the BUB event. At that point we were permitted to enter the Salt, which
started out slightly bumpy but quickly smoothed to a relatively flat, hard
surface. Ilana said she could not see anything in the distance besides the
white salt stretching on for miles. The only objects visible on the surface
were the orange cones that were strategically placed to guide cars to the
pit area. In the middle of nowhere on the salt we found a temporary racing
community.
A pit area stretched on for a mile. The tech area could be found at
the end of the pits. Tech was where motorcycles were reviewed and approved
to run. Beyond tech was the pre-staging area where motorcycles, trailers
carrying motorcycles, chase trucks, and other support vehicles lined up
before going to the final staging before their run. In the far distance a
five-mile and seven-mile straight-line track was set up to accommodate one
racer at a time. A short, ten-foot-high observation tower sat on the side
of the track for race officials. A small food area and even a radio station
booth could also be found in the pit area (event activities were broadcast
on the local 89.7 FM station).
The salt itself is hard packed and gets on everything. Coats of
sunscreen are needed to protect from the sun and the reflection of the sun.
Lots of drinking water is required since just being out there you can taste
the salt on your lips. When the wind picks up with any gusto, you can
imagine what happens. Dan explained to me that, after running his
motorcycle on the flats, he will have to replace all of the bolts because
of the tremendous corrosion caused by the salt.
Dan's first task was to get approval from the tech officials for him
and his motorcycle to run. High speed is what events on the Salt are known
for, and safety is a central issue for all drivers. Having a blind man
wanting to drive independently on the track raised a lot of questions. It
took all of the first day (Sunday) to get the motorcycle ready and tested
before the tech folks were prepared to look at it. One advantage of the
Salt is that there is a lot of open space. The tech officials allowed the
team to set up a temporary quarter-mile track for Dan to practice on and to
demonstrate the motorcycle to the tech officials.
Dan designed the motorcycle in his head based on his experience with
vehicles and after talking to experienced Salt riders. The motorcycle was a
beautiful, red, three-wheel-trike configuration. Dan machined much of the
frame himself. His machine included an Aprilia RS50 engine, a five-speed
transmission, and all Airtech streamlining. A small disc-shaped GPS unit
was mounted on the front of the motorcycle. Sponsor logos, including those
of the NFB and our Blind Driver Challenge, were displayed prominently on
the body of the machine. The bike is driven with the rider lying on his
chest in a racing position. A chest pad supports the weight of the upper
torso, freeing the rider's arms to feel the bike's movements for better
control. Small supports provide comfort to the rider's shins. The seat of
the motorcycle is also red and in Dan's words "is not built for comfort."
[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Parker on his bike]
On Sunday afternoon we observed Dan on his machine for the first
time. Sporting a cool set of protective leathers with the NFB logos,
including Whozit, Dan climbed on his machine and prepared to ride. This
time I was the spectator, and I began reflecting upon all of my own
feelings when learning to master driving with the blind driver
technologies. All of us who were on Dan's team believed in what was
possible, but I wondered whether the officials would have the same faith in
a blind guy. When Dan cranked up and took the quarter mile at a speed
slightly better than thirty miles an hour, I knew that, if the officials
were open-minded, there was a good chance Dan would be permitted to run.
After he took a number of other practice rides, my excitement grew,
anticipating the real event to come.
Late Sunday evening, after the official BUB events were over for the
day, Dan had the opportunity to demonstrate his skill and approach. Now is
the time to pause to say that all of the event staff and officials from the
BUB, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), and the The Fidiration
Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM-International Motorcycling Federation)-
who interacted with the Parker team were extremely professional, helpful,
and keenly interested. It was clear that some were not really sure why a
blind person would want to do what Dan was seeking to do. It was equally
clear that some did not know exactly how to deal with this first-ever set
of circumstances. At no time did I sense that any of the race officials
were reluctant to let Dan into the event based on blindness. If Dan could
demonstrate that his approach worked and that adequate safety controls were
in place, they would give him a chance based on a strong code of conduct
among the racing community at the Salt.
Dan's demonstration runs in front of the officials had two distinct
disadvantages. The first was the roughness of the Salt. While the Salt is
relatively flat, it is not well-groomed like the official track area. The
second disadvantage was the wind. As evening draws closer, the winds at the
Salt pick up-most riders try to make their runs early in the morning to
avoid wind interference with their speed-record attempts. Dan would have to
demonstrate his motorcycle at 7 p.m. when a fair amount of crosswind was
blowing. Despite these two disadvantages, Dan showed true Federation
determination and confidence.
After explaining the system, the safety fallbacks, and the machine's
components, Dan mounted for his demonstration ride. Dan's guidance system
is comprised of a GPS unit programmed to keep him on the centerline of his
track. As he veers to the left or right of the centerline, an increasingly
louder frequency sounds in the left or right ear, indicating which side of
the centerline he is on. If Dan drives too far off the centerline, the
motorcycle automatically shuts off. The guidance approach is effectively
the audio equivalent to the drive grip in our BDC car. Since Dan would have
a closed course with no obstacles, his primary job was to drive as straight
as he could to find a groove where he could get the speed up as high as
possible.
Dan nailed the first demonstration run, and the officials asked him
to do it again. On the second run Dan just tripped the outer limit of his
left boundary and the motorcycle automatically shut off. It turned out that
this was useful because the officials wanted to know that this safety
feature worked as the team claimed. On the next run they had the motorcycle
intentionally driven toward the boundary to confirm that it would again
shut down automatically. Then a couple of the officials tested the bike and
Dan's navigation system. The event officials were impressed, and they
quickly approved Dan to make an official pass on Monday.
On Monday the team got to the Salt early. After prepping the
motorcycle and testing all of the components, the team headed to the pre-
staging area. Dan would be followed on the course by a chase truck. The
primary purpose of the chase truck was to deliver the motorcycle to the
starting line and get it off the course as soon as the run was over.
However, the chase truck also allowed the team to monitor the system for
problems and to be close to the action. Dan would have to drive a two-mile-
long stretch. Mile one is to build speed, while the actual speed of the run
is measured based on the start and end times achieved in mile two. Plenty
of room is available after mile two to come to a safe stop. During mile one
the chase truck would be directly behind Dan, but the truck would have to
pull to the side before mile two to avoid tripping the timing devices.
I was honored that Dan offered me a seat in the chase truck, along
with Ronnie, a key team member and the driver of the chase truck; Jennifer,
Dan's girlfriend; Patrick, the engineer who built the guidance system; and
Matthew and Terry, who provided support for the motorcycle. The staging
area was a classic case of "hurry up and wait." Once the line of riders in
front of us began making runs, things started happening very quickly. It
reminded me a lot of waiting and waiting in the pits at Daytona until 10:55
a.m. came and things moved without any time to think. The symbolism was not
lost on me as the clock advanced towards 11 a.m. local time and Dan's turn
approached.
Let me return to Daytona for a moment. People often ask me about the
experience of driving at Daytona. It was truly unparalleled. It was one of
the most intense, yet one of the calmest moments of my life. Maybe it is
hard to describe because the adrenaline was flowing so intensely. Maybe it
is difficult to articulate because I had a job to do, and, while it was
fun, it was also the most pressure-filled assignment Dr. Maurer has ever
given me. Maybe it is hard to capture in words because it just cannot be
adequately described. All of those things are probably true, but, as I sat
in the chase truck, I reflected on how different the world is after
Daytona. People asked me what I was going to say when I got out of the car
at the finish line in Daytona, and I had a stock of great one-liners. When
the real moment came and I hit the brake, put the car in park, and honked
the horn, no words were equal to the demonstration itself.
As I sat with the next person to advance our blind driver work, I
finally understood why I could not adequately answer that question about
Daytona. The reason is that my own thinking about the world transformed in
that 1.5-mile drive around the Daytona road course. When I got out of the
car and met Dr. Maurer, I no longer knew what the limits are for us as
blind people. My perspective on the world changed during that drive. My
understanding of the capacity we have as blind people, the tremendous
imagination and innovation we can harness when we work together in the
Federation, and the faith we share with each other in testing those limits
transformed my whole outlook on where we can go next. In fact, it focused
me on what is next and how we get there. I cannot answer the Daytona
question adequately because Daytona is not the biggest thing we have done.
The biggest thing is yet to come, and, if we spend too much time looking
back, we might miss what is coming next.
As I ran through these reflections in my mind, I pulled my Louis
Braille coin out of my pocket. I reflected that, in the moments before the
drive at Daytona, I was keenly aware that I was the only person that could
screw the whole thing up, but that there could be no greater opportunity
than to be a pioneer. That coin was with me during my drive at Daytona. I
quietly handed Dan my Braille coin and asked him to carry it with him as a
symbol of the bond of faith that we share with each other in the
Federation.
At approximately 11 a.m. mountain time on Monday, August 26, Dan
Parker kicked off from the starting line and headed off on mile one. He
started at a steady pace and, as he approached the beginning of mile two,
he began to find his groove. He was going fast enough that the chase truck
had lost pace and needed to hustle to catch back up. Early in mile one Dan
was, at most, fourteen feet off the centerline. During mile two Dan stayed
within four feet of the centerline, and toward the end he began to "let it
out" and push his bike to go faster. He completed the first historic
independent run by a blind person at Bonneville with an officially recorded
speed of 55.331 MPH.
This blind driver was inspired by what I witnessed on the Salt that
day. Dan handed me my coin back, and I wondered where we might go next. Dan
and I spent some time speculating about creating a Blind Driver Challenge
Racing League out on the Salt, getting a junior dragster equipped with
technology so blind youth could run the Salt, and all sorts of other
wonderful ideas. Dan never did get to make a second run due to time
constraints, and I am certain he would have bettered his speed by at least
ten miles per hour on the second pass. Nevertheless, we had an opportunity
to speculate about what is ahead for us as blind people and how we might
get there. In Dan's words, "We achieved what we came to do, and we can now
begin thinking about what is next."
I did not bother to press Dan on what it felt like to race
Bonneville. In one sense I am certain it was one of the most thrilling
experiences he has ever had in his life. In another sense I am certain that
he will not be able adequately to articulate it. Dan Parker is a member of
the NFB. His spirit, determination, and eagerness to give back radiate from
every conversation. I am quite certain he is focused on what is next. If I
were willing to bet my Louis Braille coin on it, I am certain that the
blind will not be disappointed with the road ahead. Our Federation
continues our journey of innovation and adventure. We can now add high-
speed racing to our suite of blind driver achievements and a new
Federationist ready to put his foot on the accelerator of progress. When
you meet Dan Parker at an upcoming Federation event, remember to welcome
him to the Federation before you press him on what it was like to run the
Salt.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan poses triumphantly with his bike and his long white
cane.]
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