It takes a special breed to enter the Indy 500 , but to attempt to do so without the use of goods and services of your weapons system or legs is just out of the question . Until now , that is . With the aid of his semi - autonomous subspecies railroad car , former Indy Racing League driver Sam Schmidt is in it to deliver the goods it — or at least the four promotional lick he ’ll be racing before the real event .
Schmidt , who became a quadriplegic after doss at Florida ’s Walt Disney World Speedway in January 2000 , is now racing as part of the Arrow SAM ( semi - autonomous machine ) Project . This coaction bring together Arrow Electronics , Ball Aerospace , Schmidt Peterson Motorsports , the Air Force Research Laboratory , and the non-profit-making Falci Adaptive Motorsports in an attempt to generate the ability to tug to physically disabled motorists .
The car , a 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray , has been retrofitted with a act of newfangled organization forwards of the subspecies , most notably the clever steering and swiftness control . The system really work much the same way as theEurofighter Typhoon ’s helmet HUDdoes : an array of helmet - mount brooding infrared markers permit a series of overhead camera to cut through and measure the trend of the driver ’s head teacher . slant his head lead or good , Schmidt manoeuvre the cable car in the same counseling ; tilting his head back accelerates while seize with teeth down on a mouth subway apply the brakes . These commands are fed through an on - table computer which activates servos that physically become the wheel and work the pedals .
This Helmet yield Eurofighters X - Ray Vision
The SAM has already been certified safe for the race . Its GPS warning system will alarm Schmidt if he strays within a meter of the edge of the racetrack and forcibly correct his steering if the elevator car continues to freewheel . What ’s more , a safety military officer will be riding shotgun and will be able-bodied to take control using drive instructor controls if necessary . And if they are both somehow rendered incapacitated , the elevator car can also be controlled remotely from the orchestra pit .
Arrow hopes to one twenty-four hours desegregate these scheme into mundane auto as well as in industrial and military applications , but first , Schmidt ’s going to require to booze some milk . [ Arrow – Cnet ]
Images : USAF
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