Dennis Hong: Making a car for blind drivers

http://www.ted.com Using robotics, laser rangefinders, GPS and smart feedback tools, Dennis Hong is building a car for drivers who are blind. It's not a "self-driving" car, he's careful to note, but a car in which a non-sighted driver can determine speed, proximity and route -- and drive independently.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate.

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Science & Technology

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• TED
• TEDTalks
• Dennis
• Hong
• car
• blind
• independence
• robotic
• GPS

[ivnat77]

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

[Presenceofguitar]

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

[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...