Virgina Tech Modding Ford SUV for Blind Drivers

[JMcEntegart]

Researchers at Virginia Tech are modifying a Ford Escape so that it can be driven by a blind person.

Virgina Tech Modding Ford SUV for Blind Drivers : Read more

 

[Zerk]

OK.

 

[jhansonxi]

About 20% of the people on USA freeways drive like they're blind so this can only be an improvement.

 

[festerovic]

kudos for developing the tech, but some handicaps do provide a limitation that just can't be overcome. I really don't want to be on the road with blind people.

 

[bustapr]

you wrote "Virgina Tech" on the title. Should be Virginia.

I still wouldnt like to be driving on a freeway with blind people.

 

[velocityg4]

If it works great. But what about finding street addresses and names. GPS and Google maps do not always have new streets listed. Rarely are they accurate down to the address.

 

[blasterth]

By reading the description of this system, I don't understand if the blind person is driving the car or the car is driving the blind person!

 

[csturtle]

[citation][nom]bustapr[/nom]you wrote "Virgina Tech" on the title. Should be Virginia.I still wouldnt like to be driving on a freeway with blind people.[/citation]


No, Virginia Tech is correct

 

[Franklin Hennersdorfer]

While this is great for freedom for the blind, I do hope that this is not meant to actually let them drive on the roads. All well and good if it's to let them have the EXPERIENCE of driving in some safe area, but...at least with today's technology, I don't see letting the blind on our highways and byways as in the best interest of the public. Seriously.

 

[gm0n3y]

[citation][nom]csturtle[/nom]No, Virginia Tech is correct[/citation]
Except that the title is Virgina Tech.

 

[treefrog07]

Virginia (UVa) is in Charlottesville, VA; Virginia Tech (VPI&SU) is in Blacksburg, VA. We already have many blind drivers in VA; well they act like it, and our ATMs are already equipped for them!

 

[burrellbuzzman]

anyone can drive around an empty carpark

 

[Regulas]

Yeah right, probably funded by taxpayer dollars in the form of some grant too.

 

[Guest]

The problem is that most SIGHTED people can't drive. Not to mention all the text-driving, phone-driving, tired-driving, drunk-driving and just-plain-bad driving threats that make driving such a hazard!
Why not just make a car that drives for sighted and blind alike, and make the roads safer for all of us?

 

[Guest]

Nice, but that's a real reach. There are way too many unpredictable variables to ever make it safe for the blind driver, or for the unsuspecting sighted motorists who would be put at-risk. Sorry, but I don't care to have the roadways subjected to such a risky experiment, noble as it may sound.

 

[loomis86]

I don't think this is a good idea. A blind driveable wheelchair maybe. But a car? uhh...

 

[razercultmember1]

Money should be spent on higher resolution integrated optical implants.

 

[Guest]

Blind drivers, seriously bad idea. I dont care about Blind Peoples transportation concerns. Life is unfair, get over it.

It is bad enough with the large amount of terrible terrible drivers out there today who have no business being behind the wheel, without adding actual blind people and acting like its ok because of some computer aided devices.

 

[Guest]

it seems like a lot of effort and expensive technology for something i wouldn't trust on the road. I think a better use of time, money and energy would be to continue to work toward an automated driving system and take the human completely out of the picture. if this system works on the computers sensors alone and just tells the person what to do then wouldn't it just be safer to have it fully automated.

 

[omikron48]

With use of their system, is a blind driver capable of driving as high speeds with decent enough response time to external elements? I mean, would a blind driver have time enough to properly dodge another vehicle about to hit it dead on with both vehicles traveling at a high speed?

What about instances of near collision where drivers avoid almost hitting each other? (even in slow speeds, think of tight roads) How do you tell the blind driver that the opposing vehicle is about to dodge left, so you can avoid dodging to the same direction and end up crashing into each other.