Recently, I had the opportunity to see the second generation of a technology that many say is impossible. While attending the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind during the 4th-of-July week in Dallas, Texas, I experienced technology that someday may enable the blind to drive their own cars.

The hands-on exhibit consisted of the latest technological advances coming from the NFB’s Blind-Driver-Challenge which was initiated just over three years ago. The Challenge was issued to all universities in the United States asking them to develop an automobile that would be drivable by a blind person. One requirement was to utilize current technology and to make the vehicles semi-autonomous while the blind person would do the driving.

The College of Engineering at Virginia Tech took on that task and just one and a half years later had created a prototype vehicle. This consisted of a dune buggy outfitted with devices that translated visual information into tactile allowing the driver to make decisions based on what they could “feel” about their surroundings. This type of transforming information is called haptics. It is not a new technology but used in a new way. There are plans to demonstrate this technology to the public. A Ford Explorer equipped with the non-visual interface technology, will be driven by a blind individual who will navigate part of the famed Daytona International Speedway.

There were three other devices on display at the convention that make this car possible. The first technology incorporated by the Blind-Driver-Challenge vehicle utilized Lidar. Lidar is a lot like radar except that it uses light rather than radio waves to gage distances to objects. The Explorer will have Lidar devices positioned around it and on-board computers identify objects surrounding the automobile. This helps the driver “look” around the vehicle.

The second technology assists the driver in interpreting the Lidar information. The driver wears a pair of specially designed gloves with built-in transducers. Depending on the type and urgency of the information the car’s on-board computer needs to communicate, dif-ferent areas of the gloves would be energized creating different sensations in the driver’s hands. The urgency of the information would be directly proportional to the intensity of the sensations.

The last technology informs the driver of the presence of surrounding objects consisted of a matrix of blow holes placed on a flat panel. Very much like the blowing holes in an air hockey table to keep the puck floating, the air holes in the blind drivable car would communicate information to the driver.

During a demonstration I had, I was asked to identify the pattern generated by the holes that had air coming out of them and by those that didn’t. The first pattern I could identify with my hand was a cross. The second was a circle, and the last was a triangle. In a car, these would be the object pre-sent outside the car.

An on-board computer in combination with the Lidar information could be displayed tactilely on this device. No one I spoke to at the convention thought that a blind-drivable car would be on our highways anytime soon. Rather, the goal of the Blind-Driver-Challenge was to spur on innovation and to raise the visibility of how challenging transportation is to our visually impaired population.

~John Bailey

The Lions Clubs of Northern Virginia (District 24-A) and the Virginia Lions Eye Institute Foundation (VLEIF) will furnish over $160,000 in equipment to set up an additional low vision exam site at the Virginia Department for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI) Fairfax office.

District 24-A Lions have entered into an agreement with the DBVI whereby the Lions will furnish the Fairfax regional DBVI clinic with a complete set of low vision examination equipment that will provide comprehensive low vision evaluations to visually impaired patients.

The DBVI catchment area covers approximately 2.3 million people and currently has eighteen examination sites.

The agreement was officially signed on Aug. 19, by Lion District 24-A Governor, Dennis Brining; DBVI Deputy Commissioner for Services, Robert Burton; and Virginia Lions Eye Institute President, Elden Wright.

“We are very excited to be working with an organization that shares a common vision. Today we bring our strengths together to reach a larger portion of the population with hopes to continue to expand this effort in the years to come,” stated Lions District 24-A Governor Brining. “Today is the first step of what I hope to be many.”

In addition to the furnishing of equipment, District 24-A Lions have agreed to maintain and calibrate the equipment as well as provide volunteer support to assist in the Low Vision exam site.

“The Department of the Blind and Visually Impaired is very pleased to be working with the Lions,” stated DBVI Commissioner Burton. “We look forward to a long and positive relationship that will benefit the blind and visually impaired throughout this region.”

The term of the current agreement is for three years. The purpose for this agreement is to provide DBVI low vision practitioners access to equipment as well as prescriptive aids on the premises of DBVI offices in Fairfax.

“Broad coverage low vision support has been a goal of VLEIF all along,” noted Wright. “This is a great start; it is the first of multiple centers we plan to support in Northern Virginia”.

DBVI plans to use this exam equipment to open its nineteenth exam site for patients in the Northern Virginia area.

Lions have been involved with the DBVI for many years. Today’s agreement is an extension of this long-term relationship.

Virginia Lions Eye Institute Foundation (VLEIF) operates as a separate entity with the partnership of the Inova Health System. It is governed by a Board of Directors representing the Lions Clubs of District 24-A (Northern Virginia), community ophthalmologists, and the Inova Health Systems Foundation.

VLEIF funds are used for the purchase of equipment, education, scholarships, and clinical research. Additionally, VLEI supports symposia and continuing medical education for nurses and para-professionals in the ophthalmic field. VLEIF recently instituted a scholarship award for sight handicapped individuals.

• District 24-A Lions includes 69 clubs spanning from Leesburg to Montrose VA. With over 1905 members proudly living up to Lions Clubs International motto “We Serve”, and taking on Helen Keller’s challenge to the Lions to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.”

Since 1917, Lions have worked tirelessly to aid their communities, the blind and visually impaired, as well as the hearing impaired.

• The Virginia Department for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI) is committed to providing quality services to assist Virginia’s citizens who are blind, deaf blind or vision impaired in achieving their maximum level of employment, education, and personal independence. The department provides an array of specialized services to blind Virginians of all ages to assist them in attaining the skills, confidence and positive outlook that are critical to independence.