Hi List,
I've been following this one for a while without comment, but I can't resist
the below spoof.
While I think automobiles which are accessible to blind people would be
great, I think there are too many monumental technical issues for this to be
fully implemented. Therefore, I propose the extension of the service animal
idea to assist Blind people with driving. We all know about Guide Dogs for
mobility, so how about an animal that can be taught to drive a modified
vehicle. Now just who would be the most likely animal candidate for such a
project? Why the Chimpanzee of course!
Their structure most closely resembles the human being--although they might
have to use hand controls similar to those that are used by wheel chair
bound people--since their leg and foot construction would be hard to match
to a standard automobile.
I can see it now! There would be schools for chimpanzee training for
automobile navigation--similar to Guiding Eyes For The Blind and The Seeing
Eye. Poor oppressed chimps from laboratories where there is no further use
could be recruited. The schools could also recruit chimpanzees from the
various game preserves that are a sort of half way house for chimps whose
parents have met with accidents or been poached.
Once trained, these intelligent animals whose brain capacities are only
slightly less than human beings (although I sometimes wonder about that
'slightly less' assertion) would be capable of making independent decisions
and thus more easily avoid traffic accidents and weather related issues.
It may present a few problems. I can see it now, a chimpanzee exceeding the
speed limit is pulled over by a highway trooper.
"May I see your license and registration please." I wonder how that would
work--since the one thing chimps cannot do is talk--something to do with the
placement of the vocal chords or something. They can learn sign
language--so maybe all police officers would have to take a crash course in
chimp sign language.
In addition, chimps have minds of their own. They can be down right
stubborn. Don't under any circumstances take them to ice cream parlors. If
you do and especially if you treat them, you may get a rather unpleasant
surprise when you use sign language to instruct your chimpanzee driver to
take you to work. Yes, I can see it now. You over slept and you're running
late for work. You sign your chimp to take you downtown to your place of
employment. You notice something odd about the twists and turns of the
driving and when the chimp pulls into the parking lot, you find out that
you're at the local Dairy Queen or Caravel's. You sign to him that this is
not right and that he should take you to work. He signs back something
like: "hungry need ice cream."
Well, I guess that every new bit of technology has a few bugs. Chalk
another one up for science!
[...and I almost forgot, after the initial training--which could be paid for
by our government with the bottomless financial resources, they would work
cheaply--for peanuts perhaps!]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Baracco" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, August 09, 2009 12:11 AM
Subject: Re: Blind Driving to come soon!
I am always interested in assistive technology from the technological
standpoint, and would like to try driving the car for the fun of it,
in a place where i wouldn't be in harm's way. But i am concerned
about the blind people who read articles like this, and expect that
they will be off the bus any time soon. it ain't gonna
happen. Because even if this becomes technologically possible, no
state will license a blind driver, and no insurance company will
insure one. i have used enough technology to know that the best
technology can fail. Technologicaly, airplanes can fly themselves,
but i do not know of any airline that has stopped employing
pilots. Technologically, the Bay Area Rapid Transit trains in the
San francisco Bay area can run themselves, but on every train there
is a human operator just in case the computers fail, and they
have. So don't burn your bus pass any time soon.
Andy
At 02:14 PM 8/8/2009, you wrote:
>That's the dumbest project the NFB has come up with to
>date! There's enough sighted people on the roads who shouldn't be driving.
>
>And what does this message have to do with this list anyway?
>
>Terri Amateur Radio call sign KF6CA.
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Cox" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 1:18 PM
>Subject: Blind Driving to come soon!
>
>
>Hello All, Thought this article might be of interest to all.
>
>20 blind people are able to test drive dune buggy designed by Va.
>Tech students
>02/08/2009 12:56:00 AM
>THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
>COLLEGE PARK, Maryland - Several blind people were able to get
>behind the wheel of
>a new high-tech vehicle designed by Virginia Tech engineering students.
>Twenty blind people took turns manoeuvring the retrofitted dune
>buggy Friday in a
>parking lot at the University of Maryland. The test drive capped a
>National Federation
>for the Blind summer camp for 200 blind youth from across the country.
>Virginia Tech was the only university to take on a 2004 challenge
>from the federation
>to build a vehicle that could let blind people drive.
>The buggy they designed uses a laser sensor to figure out the road
>ahead. A special
>vibrating vest worn by drivers communicates speed and warns when to
>stop. And a headset
>relays voice commands signalling which way to turn.
>
>
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