Everyone hates backseat drivers. Go slower here. Make a left there. But for the blind, the passenger seat chatter is part of a new technology that will allow the sightless to finally get behind the wheel.
The Washington Post reports that at Virginia Tech, engineers have created a prototype vehicle that will allow the blind to navigate streets themselves. A laser at the front of the car senses the oncoming road and sends a signal to the car’s computer, which then creates a map that helps navigate. This information is then transmitted via a computerized “backseat driver” that tells the guy behind the wheel which way to steer. So far, the technology can tell blind drivers how to avoid collisions, but it can’t yet plot out a route to a specific location. Other kinks that also need to get worked out include how to help the sightless find their cars in a parking lot.
Tests so far have been successful and the drivers have avoided accidents. The main problem, the car’s creators say, has to do with public perception. Driving blind? It can’t be any worse than people who text behind the wheel.
