Hello list does anyone have a yaesue V X 6 triband hand held.
is so could you pass along any programming tips for blind ham users?
Bob Heiser
K9BOB
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Danny Dyer" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 10:01 AM
Subject: OT, UntilYou Put A Mobile Rig In This Car


> TOPIC: Va. Tech designs vehicle that allows the blind to drive
> http://groups.google.com/group/vipnews/t/bcc3e83952ab4fc1?hl=3Den
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
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> =3D=3D
> NewsLeader.com, VA, USA
>
> Va. Tech designs vehicle that allows the blind to drive
> Staff Reports
> July 15, 2009
>
> BLACKSBURG - A student team in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering =
> is providing the blind with=20
> an opportunity many never thought possible: The opportunity to drive.
> A retrofitted four-wheel dirt buggy developed by the Blind Driver =
> Challenge team from Virginia Tech's=20
> Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory uses laser range finders, an instant =
> voice command interface and=20
> a host of other innovative, cutting-edge technology to guide blind =
> drivers as they steer, brake, and=20
> accelerate. Although in the early testing stage, the National Federation =
> of the Blind -- which=20
> spurred the project -- considers the vehicle a major breakthrough for =
> independent living of the=20
> visually impaired.
> "It was great!" said Wes Majerus of Baltimore, the first blind person to =
> drive the buggy on a closed=20
> course at the Virginia Tech campus earlier this summer. Majerus is an =
> access technology specialist=20
> with the National Federation of the Blind's Jernigan Institute in =
> Baltimore, a research and training=20
> institute dedicated to developing technologies and services to help the =
> blind achieve independence.
>
> Majerus called his drive a liberating experience, adding that he drove =
> before on Nebraska farm roads=20
> with his father as a guide in the passenger seat.
>
> Sitting inside the vehicle, a blind driver can turn the steering wheel, =
> stop and accelerate by=20
> following data from a computing unit that uses sensory information from =
> the laser range finder=20
> serving as the 'eyes' of the driver, in addition to a combination of =
> voice commands and a vibrating=20
> vest as guides. A member of the Virginia Tech student team sat next to =
> Majerus in the passenger seat=20
> to monitor the system's software operations.
>
> "It's a great first step," Majerus added. "As far as the differences =
> between human instructions and=20
> those given by the voice in the Blind Driver Challenge car, the car's =
> instructions are very precise.=20
> You use the technology to act on the environment -- the driving course =
> -- in a very orderly manner.=20
> In some cases, the human passenger will be vague, "turn left" -- does =
> that mean just a small turn to=20
> the left, or are we going for large amounts of turn?"
>
> Also driving the vehicle was Mark Riccobono, also of Baltimore, the =
> executive director of the=20
> Jernigan Institute, who also is blind. He called his test drive =
> historic. "This is sort of our going=20
> to the moon project," he said
>
> In 2004 Jernigan Institute challenged university research teams to =
> develop a vehicle that would one=20
> day allow the blind to drive. Virginia Tech was the only university in =
> the nation to accept the=20
> nonprofit's call two years later, said Dennis Hong, director of the =
> Robotics and Mechanisms=20
> Laboratory, part of the Virginia Tech mechanical engineering department. =
> The National Federation of=20
> the Blind provided a $3,000 grant to launch the project.
>
> "I thought it would be a very rewarding project, helping the blind," =
> said Hong, the current faculty=20
> adviser on the project. "We are not only excited about the vehicle =
> itself, but more than that, we=20
> are excited about the potential of the many spin-off technologies from =
> this project that can be used=20
> for helping the blind in so many ways."
>
> The team will bring the Blind Driver Challenge vehicle to the National =
> Federation of the Blind's=20
> Youth Slam summer camp event held July 26 through Aug. 1 in College =
> Park, Md. There, the team hopes=20
> to have teenagers who would be obtaining their driver's licenses, but =
> cannot because of their=20
> blindness, drive the buggy.
>
> Youth participants also are expected to remote control drive miniature =
> cars. Additionally, the car=20
> is expected to ride in a National Federation of the Blind-sponsored =
> parade in Washington D.C.
>
> "I most look forward to learning as much as I can from these bright =
> young students," said Greg=20
> Jannaman, who led the Virginia Tech student team in his senior year and =
> graduated in May with a=20
> bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. "Blind students from across =
> the nation apply to be=20
> selected to attend this summer camp. While we are there to provide an =
> educational experience for=20
> them, I can only imagine the invaluable feedback and fresh new ideas =
> that they will provide in=20
> return."
>
> Jannaman is excited about the vehicle's success. "There wasn't a =
> moment's hesitation with any of our=20
> blind drivers, whereas blind-folded sighted drivers weren't as quick to =
> let go of their=20
> preconceptions," said Jannaman of Hendersonville, Tenn. "The blind =
> drivers actually performed better=20
> than their sighted counterparts. An overwhelming sense of accomplishment =
> overcame me as I simply=20
> rode along while Wes and Mark successfully navigated the driving course =
> without my assistance."
>
> Early models of the Blind Driver Challenge vehicle relied more on =
> technologies for fully autonomous=20
> vehicles, previously developed by Virginia Tech mechanical engineering =
> students as part of the DARPA=20
> Urban Challenge. The student team redesigned the vehicle so that the =
> blind motorist has complete=20
> control of the driving process, as any sighted driver would.
>
> This change in approach led to new challenges, including how to =
> effectively convey the high=20
> bandwidth of information from the laser sensors scanning the vehicle's =
> surrounding environment to=20
> the driver fast enough and accurate enough to allow safe driving. As a =
> result, the team developed=20
> non-visual interface technologies, including a vibrating vest for =
> feedback on speed, a click counter=20
> steering wheel with audio cues, spoken commands for directional =
> feedback, and a unique tactile map=20
> interface that utilizes compressed air to provide information about the =
> road and obstacles=20
> surrounding the vehicle.
>
> Riccobono knows of mock ups and non-working "blind driver car" set-ups =
> from the past, but says this=20
> is the first working vehicle to put the blind and visually impaired in =
> control of the steering=20
> wheel. "Blind people have brains, the capacity to make decisions," he =
> said. "Blind people want to=20
> live independent lives, why would they not want to drive?"
>
> Even once the technology is perfected, laws now barring the blind from =
> driving and public perception=20
> must be changed, Riccobono said. "This is the piece that we know will be =
> the most difficult," said=20
> Riccobono, adding that the car must be near-perfected before the =
> National Federation of the Blind=20
> can truly push the car to law-makers and the general public. He said =
> this effort will take millions=20
> of dollars in development.
>
> The 2009-10 student team already is planning major changes to the =
> technology, including replacing=20
> the dirt buggy vehicle with a fully electric car commonly used by =
> traffic officers in downtown city=20
> centers. The all-electric vehicle would reduce the vibration which can =
> cause problems to the laser=20
> sensor, and it will provide clean electric power for the computing units =
> and that is better for the=20
> environment.
>
> Hong is a National Science Foundation CAREER Award recipient. He =
> received his bachelor's degree in=20
> mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1994, =
> and his master's and=20
> doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in =
> 1999 and 2002, respectively.
>
> SOURCE
>
> http://www.newsleader.com/article/20090715/NEWS01/90715001/1002/news01/Va=
> .+Tech+designs+vehicle+that+allows+the+blind+to+drive=20