Self-driving cars provide freedom for the blind
For technology enthusiasts, Google’s new self-driving prototype is an engineering marvel. But for sight-impaired people, and others with disabilities, a self-driving car may mean much more.
“Where this would change my life is to give me the
independence and the flexibility to go to the places I both want to go
and need to go when I need to,” said Steve Mahan, who is sight-impaired
and tested a self-driving Toyota Prius.
The car uses advanced sensors and a global-positioning
system to navigate streets and is electronically limited to a speed of
40 kilometers per hour. Google began outfitting Priuses and Lexuses with
driverless technology in 2010 and is joined in the development of such
cars by General Motors, Ford, Audi, Nissan and Toyota.
Many places across the
U.S. are preparing for a self-driving future. Four states — Nevada,
Florida, California and Michigan — and the city of Washington have taken
legal steps to permit the use of self-driving cars. As the population
ages, officials believe that self-driving cars may help the elderly in
addition to the sight-impaired and people with leg or upper-body
impairments.
The technology advances
that make self-driving vehicles possible start with an investment in
youth education. The White House holds an annual science fair and
supports STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math)
through the Educate to Innovate
initiative. Innovators working to help visually impaired people gain
tools similar to those enjoyed by others include some as young as
13-year-old Shubham Banerjee, who has built a low-cost Braille printer.
https://share.america.gov/self-driving-cars-provide-freedom-for-blind/
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