Car for the Blind In the Works

Probably more than once in your life, you’ve been driving down the freeway only to become the unexpected victim of a close cut-off or other imposing vehicular maneuver by a fellow driver. At which point, you likely yelled something like “Blind MFer!!” either directly out your window at the perpetrator or inside the cabin of your car. At the time, you were just angry and venting, but in the future, those words may get a little less figurative.

A group of engineers from Virginia Tech is working on a car for the blind in conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind. The vehicle uses a vibrating vest and gloves to convey information about how to steer and operate to the driver. That information is harvested from a series of lasers and sensors.

Sounds terrifying. I liked the work that NFB was doing in terms of vehicle detection systems on hybrids, but the idea of blind drivers, no matter how teched-up their car is, is still pretty scary. Seems to me like the eyes are still the quickest way of assessing and reacting to hazards and I just can’t quite envision how vibrating clothing could ever replace them.

We’ll all get our chance to find out when the car takes a test ride in Daytona next January. [via Autocar and Chicago Tribune] [Press Release. Images and Video]