Semi-Autonomous Motorcar Helps a Former Racecar Driver Drive Again
When a person gets involved in an accident and loses the ability to move all or some of their limbs, life can become tremendously difficult for them to just get around, not to mention the extremely depressing nature of losing their freedom.
For those that enjoy cars, that loss of the ability to drive a racecar is especially saddening. A few days ago, I was involved in a motorcycle accident, and the first thing I did was make sure I still could feel and move my extremities. Thankfully I could, but I was lucky, many though aren’t, and as such leaves them without the ability to do something they love. That is until now.
The video here shows off a technology called SAM(Semi-Autonomous Motorcar). SAM takes the movements of the driver’s head, and force applied through a special pressure plate inside the driver’s mouth, and uses them to signal the car to behave in certain way. Thereby giving the disabled driver complete control of the car.
In the video, former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt, who is now a quadriplegic takes laps the new SAM system with the help from a new C7 Corvette Stingray. The track is fairly important to Schmidt as well since they’re lapping Indianapolis.
SAM now gives a driver the knowledge that no matter what happens to your spine, it will never be able to take the away your freedom.
This technology has limitless possibilities not just in terms of driving a car, but just getting around and continuing to be independent through the person’s life. Hopefully, with more funding, SAM can be put into production. There is no doubt in my brain that this technology has the ability to help millions of people around the world.