A Blind Man Drove a Car at Daytona International Speedway [Cars]

Mark Riccobono is legally blind. But that doesn’t stop him from looking to enjoy life. Today, due to tactile technology, he became the first blind man to drive around the track at Daytona International Speedway.

The National Federation for the Blind issued a challenge to look if anyone could give you a option to allow driving for the blind. A team at Virgina Tech figured it out, they’ve developed a system that incorporates using fancy gloves that offer tactile feedback for the motive force to read his surroundings.

Riccobono drove a custom equipped Ford Escape hybrid for several rounds and ” successfully navigated the different turns of the road course but additionally avoided obstacles, some of which have been stationary and some of that have been thrown into his path at random from a van driving in front of him.”

The technology will not be all of the way there yet (for real world use, not less than) but the NFB is hopeful that at some point the technology could be adequate to switch public perceptions. As for Riccobono, he’s enjoying the moment, he tweeted ” ” Hello, the blind made history today, What did you do today?” [ NY Daily News ]

Source

This post is tagged: daytona international speedway, ford escape hybrid, National Federation for the Blind, public perceptions, tactile feedback