Dennis Hong: Making a car for blind drivers

[zaneacademy]

not sure about the practicality in a high and aggressive traffic city environment... . the spinoff technologies might be where the real value of this invention is...

[lizwilson51]

That was awesome! I was tearing up just imagining how that driver on the racetrack must have felt behind the wheel. There are a lot of realists who have commented with valid concerns, which Mr. Hong also mentions. The beautiful thing is that regardless of whether all blind people can someday drive cars safely or not, this technology has so many implications for other practical uses, and most importantly challenges society's perception of those with disabilities from "CAN'T" to "CAN."

[aarongrooves]

Just because we can doesn't mean we should.

[tVKrippen]

so after this is all said and done, blind people will be better drivers than women

[Bryan198026]

I couldn't agree more. I've been blind my whole life and I don't see this as being remotely feasible, for exactly the reasons you all have outlined, plus it's bound to be way too expensive for the average blind schmoe, even one lucky enough to be employed, to afford. And it's difficult enough to get financial help to get everyday assistive tech, much less this thing. Even if it's proven possible it probably won't take off simply for that reason.

[mintbear82]

This is amazing, but I wonder what the insurance would be like for a blind individual driving a car?

[Robikus]

Asians build cars for the blind? What could go wrong?

[Geoshi]

I like his dream, but I feel it will remain as one until further down the road, no pun intended. His other idea's such as the classroom he mentioned at the end, that I could see as a reality.

[ElizabethMarsden]

Its awesome, is a something who can make their lifes better...

[angela3017]

His dream is not economically feasible, nor safe since it depends on the reaction time of the driver, and the feedback mechanism is minimal. A driver needs to know more things about the road than what he proposes. An autonomous car seems more reasonable ......

[TheTrueRandomness]

The new Daredevil mobile? 

[dhebert111]

This is how Technology should be used, to better society and imrpove the quality of life for all human beings.

Not for war.

Dr. Hong is a true Hero.

[thznt]

Hong appears on 6:55 with a Golimar's Jacket =D

[Daudex]

This is so amazing Dr Hong you're my role mode

[jonathanbluestein]

It's all fun and nice until someone gets killed. Who do you blame then? The blind person? The car company? The people who invented this system?... I'll tell you'll one thing - for the dead person, it's not going to matter much. Novel idea, but flawed from the onset.

[beerndumplings]

@jonathanbluestein I would be willing to bet that a city with only visually impaired drivers would be more efficient and have less accidents than a city with people who have normal vision. Tell your dead person that he was more likely to be killed by a "normal driver" in a "normal car." This idea is still a work in progress and is, in my opinion, a great idea.

[229139]

@beerndumplings That's because they would all be doing 27 mph, at 75 mph you are moving at 110 feet per second far to fast to have something interpreting the road before you can even make a decision on what to do.

[beerndumplings]

that's a good point but, is the rate at which one drives the significant factor of one's ability to drive? i don't think so because, it's the rate at which one interprets and reacts to an input that is the chief determinant of one's ability to drive. for instance, Driver A, a blind driver: 3 seconds to process input from the road before executing a driving maneuver, Driver B, a non-blind driver: .7 seconds. IF(big if) Driver A + process rate=>can drive like Driver B: is miles/hour >output/input?

[PopeSnowball]

@jonathanbluestein I still think it is promising.

[ThringtonBennet]

Wait...google are making a car that can drive itself...why don't you stop working now and just help with that

[rhomeaforever]

I totally dont see how this could ever be possible. There are just too many variables when you are driving. A child chasing after a ball, a large pot hole, a deer running across the road, swerving to avoid an out of control driver. I dont see how any tech could give the blind the same abilities the sighted would have in these situations.

[AmethystEyes]

@rhomeaforever maybe if the car can visually detect it or identify it. But when I saw this I was thinking the same thing. There are so many variables. But there going to test it a multitude of times. It's worth a try.

[divinegod102]

@rhomeaforever Placing human on the moon was once deemed to be an impossible feat.

[Arghira]

I wish I were blind...so I can rejoice even more !

[SleepNoJutsu]

This is just the beginning...Thank you very much.

No, don't stop talking! You just said it's the beginning!

[leonidasx666]

I think that if they could integrate something like airpix (or 'vibration'pix) in a pair of glasses that would be a great advance.

Also, I don't think it's necessary to have all that hardware just to drive. Something like a necklace would be smaller and still have the same effect (vibrate left=go left, vibrate right=go right, strong vibration on the back=accelarate, etc, that kind of thing).

[rjesensky]

Cars are not necessary , I might be terribly wrong but last thing they need is a bloody car

[NickRobo1994]

why not make an audio form. I mean hell, i can tell u when JaX_aWfUl_LoT77 is calling in a UAV around the corner, theres got to be some way to slap some turtle beachs on them and let them drive nascar.

[xXNibiNoNekoXx]

Bawwww, ended up getting teary eyed. :')

[rizeljamn35]

the spin off technologies are the ones we should be looking forward to...

[ivnat77]

The problem is this: how do we stop the cars hitting each other first with people inside that can see?

[xjustamem0ryx]

@ivnat77

euthenasia.

[ivnat77]

@xjustamem0ryx

Not a solution or whatever you tried to say. There are sensors that can be put up to stop collision; technology of drive-less car is in test already too, etc. But all the advanced methods are developing so slowly because it is not profitable to get rid of the huge polluting car service industry and, of course, to care about human's health.

[xjustamem0ryx]

@ivnat77

aw you ruined my emo-cynical insinuation that drivers who can see but still hit each other are terminally moronic meritting euthenasia ;P

[ivnat77]

@xjustamem0ryx

I see, they are so sick of driving :-D

[KingRockets]

i dont want to see the beginning, i want to see the end.

[Dtekkarrr]

Good talk, you can feel that he has quite some empathy for the blind. I hope he and his team are able to succeed.

[claudees]

A very innovative invention of manufacturing a car for the BLIND. Nice video. Best wishes.

[kathrynlambkin]

what's wrong with using their original self-driving car for the blind, drunk AND everybody else? the only override required would be if you wanted to change your destination. why to people need to actively participate in driving? (assuming the self-driving car is safe)

[xjustamem0ryx]

@kathrynlambkin

why do people need to actively participate in thinking!?

[kathrynlambkin]

@xjustamem0ryx i'm not disagreeing that the blind should participate in life any less than the rest of us. i just think if there are cars already designed that would make us all safer drivers, why don't we all get those regardless of how good/bad our vision is. i think designing a car for the blind when there is already a car that can meet that need is pretty inefficient. that said, the technology they've developed for the project will likely be great for other uses for the vision impaired.

[doloppost]

It's funny. We're not allowed to use drugs, and the use of nicotine and alcohol is restrained by high taxes and laws. It is for our own good. But such a dangerous thing as driving... that's allowed.

[DonQuixotedeKaw]

Not good enough.......yet.

[jiyinyiyong]

真棒

[drorjs]

ahhmm... i think all cars should be autonomous for everyone. just take the wheel from all human drivers and give the cars the ability to "talk" to each other. it will probably take the fun out of driving but make riding in a car 1000 times safer.

[rishigangoly]

Great work. However, I feel that the world has an easier and better solution for not just the blind but even for those who can see. And that's the Ultra PRT Transit system. You can just search for it on YouTube and it will show you how that works. It's completely automated. I see that as the future for travel by road. There won't be a need to own cars in the future with something like Ultra PRT Transit.

[gatoradeee]

GO KOREANS

[enzyme20056]

you would think it would be easier to give a person there sight back

[MrFrankBullitt]

aka: Bumper Cars

[GNRmusicdude]

Imagine a drunk blind driver......OMG!!!!

[KowaruKei]

curing the blind is like curing cancer, it isn't easy and is a very huge leap from what we have currently. however, making a car for blind drivers is just a relatively small leap and achievable with what we have now. if we can do it, why not?

[Richy15251]

automated cars are much more interesting...

[HarveyMushman85]

A car that drives itself has been developed ages ago. It's called a taxi!

[cristoretornebiblia]

@HarveyMushman85 I like that one ;)

[nikanj]

Haha looks like the Logitech Driving Force Pro is an advanced enough gaming wheel to be used in cutting edge science.

[refusist]

Very cool. This tech could be useful in many ways

[GigaRebyc]

Watch the whole video before you comment. At the end of the video, Hong talks about the potential of the project, i.e. using the sensors in everyday cars so you can drive better under poor weather conditions and enabling the blind to use regular home appliances.

Obviously if it was that easy to "cure the blind" people would have done so already, rather than work to make their lives more acceptable.

[theend1245]

This is really stupid no offense to Blind people. , they could donate that 0.5 million to finding a cure to blindness.

[alexQw33]

To all who laugh about putting blind drivers on the road, please imagine you were born with no eyes... and there is a chence you could be free and move about, how would you feel if the priviledge "seeing crowds" denies you that chance, just because they like things the way they are. This is about giving blind people a break. Dr Chang mentions this is a first step, I hope one day the blind are more involved in our world and free to choose where to go and what to do like the rest of us.

[workaholic888]

this is awesome! wouldn't it be nice to have an autonomous driving system installed on EVERY car?? Like when a drunk driver goes off course the car can correct itself....I'm sure that's gonna save a lot of lives..

[xjustamem0ryx]

@workaholic888

it will also bypass (if not eliminate) consequences supposedly responsible for a person changing their bad ways.

[AnneOnAMoose]

LMAO- what we need is more cars on the roads with blind people driving them...

[holmesosodrac]

This is very interesting. But... I wouldn't want a blind driver driving in the same road as I do. So I think this will be a fine prototype that won't really work in real life.

[Mrmoc7]

I'm impressed.

[t3tsuyaguy1]

These people who work for years to give someone an experience, common to the rest of us, but denied to them....They just move me. It's a beautiful thing.

[04artwil]

A interesting short political documentary. ;)

/watch?v=GB1jWbougbo

[Phelan666]

Hennis Dong.

[AsAboveSoBelow01]

Interesting, but seems like a waste of resources. The money would have been better spent investing in cars that simply drive themselves.

[slicingwater]

From an engineering stand point, its an exciting challenge from a logical standpoint, why the hell would you build a car for the blind.

[Ultra4]

bad idea. just stick the blind inside the automatic vehicle, in fact, make all vehicles automated, no more manual driving! If we have the technology why keep killing ourselves just to feed our ego (....or pennis)

[UnhonorableMentions]

@Ultra4 Have you seen the movie WALL-E?

We've already invented vehicles to take us where we want to go quicker and with less effort. Why is it necessary to take the human component out of it? It will just make us lazy, fat, and stupid.

[Ultra4]

@UnhonorableMentions does your microwave, refrigerator make you lazy? cuz they do work you were supposed to do. Does computers and calculators make you stupid? cuz they do your math. Technology that makes our lives easy is never the problem. And having automated machines work for us only makes you fat and stupid you you are lazy on the inside already, when machines work for us, we do other stuff (dont you read on the train? dont you do stuff while machines produce the goods and food you need?

[UnhonorableMentions]

@Ultra4 labor and money saving devices are different than being too lazy to drive. If your entire world was run by robots and machines, would you be satisfied? There would be nothing left to do.

[Ultra4]

@UnhonorableMentions That is precisely where i disagree with you. There is so much to do, there is nothing more satisfying to a human than to discover or make something new and sharing it with humanity, Einstein and Telsa didn't do it for the money. A few centuries ago men hunted all day and women gathered roots and water all day, they would say if that was done by machines humans would have nothing to do!

[UnhonorableMentions]

@Ultra4 We certainly have different opinions. I wouldnt be happy if my life was run by machines, more than it already is.

[wavewobbler]

You are so wrong but so right. It should not be about enabling the unsighted person to drive but about stopping all humans, i.e. the most unreliable components in most modern systems, especially cars, to influence energy changes. I would rather read a book and be driven by a computer to a destination rather than read road signs and be driven to distraction by myself .

[zerone7anno]

Amazing ..Nice work

[Neylonx]

by the time this becomes viable, it will already be illegal to drive your own car. Computer controlled driving will be faster, more efficient and safer.

plus, you have extra time in your day to do stuff, rather than stare at the road.

[Kebabsoup]

Mhhh... Very interesting! Non-visual interfaces will make the blind people's life much easier. But I hope one day we'll be able to treat the problem at the root and allow them to recover sight!

[Icepaxx]

bad idea

[TheHickstead]

@hempartist420 LOL, you can't do anything about them!

[TheHickstead]

interesting but what would happen if everything stops! Also, lets just admit that it can never be like "normal" driving.

[DaLastBoss]

@hempartist420 hahaha

[supajive]

Next series on TEDtalksdirector: Making headphones for the deaf

[Kirbynessness]

 ಠ_ಠ

[xilliah]

Somehow this doesn't make sense to me. What is wrong the google car?

[MaBuSt]

gloves... with vibrating elements on the knuckle parts? anyone else thinking what im thinking?.... just sayin..

[Se1ander]

Well...... Interesting.

[SuperiorApostate]

people are pissed about drivers who can see what's gonna happen when blind drivers take over the roads.

[missbutter81]

Why enable another segment of the population to pollute our air?

We should be focusing on REDUCING drivers on the road, not increasing them.

You should have spent your efforts in fixing vision disabilities instead.

[SuperRegisteredUser]

Cool, now make one for blond drivers.

[LanteanKnight]

Why not just invent teleportation...?

[raydredX]

@LanteanKnight Why not just invent a jetpack...?

[LanteanKnight]

@raydredX

Because teleportation is instantaneous, silly... :P

[KemaTheAtheist]

I'd be more intested in improving his technology for automated cars, not just because of drunk driving, but because people are constantly doing unsafe things: eating, texting, talking, etc... Anyone could use it, all cars could drive faster and closer together without danger, etc... that seems to me like a much better direction.

I like the ideas he listed as the "spin-off" technologies, but the technologies for a blind-man's car seem less useful than just making an automated car for everyone.

[JJoneEIGHTY]

there are lots of cars for blind people, there call fucking taxi's!!!!!

[anubis2814]

I designed something similar to the airpix years ago, using pressure. Air works much better, genius.

[omegavalerius]

Honestly, whats wrong with having a car that drives for you? Why don't we focus on solutions that benefit all members regardless of their impairments or lack there of. Or is the idea behind this that we need to recreate the fun of driving for the blind so everyone can get bored of driving a car after 100k km?

[eituzett]

=D=D

[DrewEl2]

His voice sounds JUST like NIGAHIGA hahaha

[cyberdems]

Kill 4 birds with 1 stone: 1) nobody needs to learn to drive 2) less accidents 3) anybody can be transported, including blind people 4) less traffic, more efficient traffic flow. Solution? Create a road network with cars that drive themselves with using GPS and other computational technology. NO drivers, no drinking hazzards, etc. It's the future

[xGothimox]

Can't we just make people see?

[tejhim]

@xGothimox There are people making good progress with that as well. We may have people with silicon eyes with little camera's in them attached to their brains in 20 years or so maybe longer.

The technology talked about in the video is invaluable though as well. Good stuff

[KemaTheAtheist]

@xGothimox

"Can't we just make people see?"

That actually is being worked on, but mapping the brain to accept the input of a camera in a meaningful way is extremely difficult and requires an implant directly in the brain, whcih is incredibly invasive and dangerous.

The technology is in its infancy, and as such investment is little because the payoff won't come for a long while yet.

[xjustamem0ryx]

why not borrow the tech from ( /watch?v=hupHAPF1fHY ) and slap a cap on the blind man's head and git r dun.

[Ko252]

@xGothimox As for now, we can only achieve to restore vision to people that have seen before, thus, not people that are born blind.

[vesji]

@xGothimox Kind of hard to do that still mate. But this time will come. =)

[GuppyPal]

@xGothimox I think that might actually be easier. haha :P

[Vortex42]

@xGothimox That's already happening. Taking time... Have a little patience! ;)

[daemonowner]

@xGothimox With stem cells, we can..

[JusBeaTboX]

@xGothimox you are a genius.

[OgreMECH]

@xGothimox I have a feeling that development will occur before this blind car is made into a production vehicle.

[stuckintherut]

@xGothimox Hopefully, one day. In the mean time, blindness is one impairment to work around, but there are thousands of causes which needs thousands of cures.

[ilotitto]

Yeah right... because getting blind people on the road is is so coherent...

[Wormtail81]

This is a really interesting concept but I do not honestly think this can ever be safe.

[FatLingon]

I'd say focus development on cars that drives themselves, like your personal automated taxi, anyone can operate one no matter if you are blind, deaf or George Bush.

[nai237]

7th

[MisterEvil1]

How about cars that drive themselves dumbass!

[star666moon]

Wouldn't it make more sense to "making a car for drunk drivers" more relevant in this day and age?

[wondergundy]

@star666moon Because tomorrow the blind will have sight. Because you will be sober?

[star666moon]

@wondergundy Sober? What's that?

[TGAPOO]

@star666moon Except we want to DISCOURAGE drunk driving....

[star666moon]

@TGAPOO Haha, yeah and that seems to really work right now...

[kyjello12]

@star666moon yeah really. i never heard of this peculiar "blind" concept, but ive been drunk many times.

[waysworth]

@star666moon

right... then we can do "get-away cars" for bank robbers.

[liquidminds]

@star666moon we present: the self-driving car: giving you two extra hands to distribute led in your everyday drivebyshooting...

[Presenceofguitar]

@star666moon We have had those for decades. They're called taxis.

[star666moon]

@Presenceofguitar haha, yeah! :)

[ruggertom92]

@Presenceofguitar that's the dumbest comment I've ever read!

[akazombie]

@star666moon omg i ROFLed! wow!

so true...

[star666moon]

@akazombie haha, I am glad you did! Your comment made my day!

[TheVisceral89]

Wouldnt this be just as good for seeing drivers? Just making driving safer.

[TheBlastaway]

@KingOfGuitars41 FAIL!! :P

[quedde]

cool!

[ThePureAura]

FIRST!