Discover the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Located 60 miles from London in the West Sussex countryside surrounding Goodwood House, the Festival of Speed is an exhilarating blend of motorsports and engineering innovation.
Nowhere else will you get so close to the cars and bikes as they race up the Hill Climb track. Then come to the paddock to inspect these iconic machines. Meet the engineers who calibrate them for peak performance, and the drivers who push them to their limits.
Discover the future of mobility where technology makes life better – and faster
Arrow Electronics’ Semi-Autonomous Mobility (SAM) program applies new technology solutions so people with physical disabilities can explore the next frontier of freedom. The Arrow SAM Car is a 2020 Corvette C8 that quadriplegic former Indy Car driver Sam Schmidt commands with his head, breathe and voice – at speeds up to 201 mph. Now Schmidt is approaching a new challenge – slowly walking for the first time in 21 years since his high-level spinal cord injury using an advanced exoskeleton called the SAM Suit.
The SAM Car and SAM Suit were at the Arrow exhibition during the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Here’s a recap on how innovation is driving the emerging field of semi-autonomous mobility forward.
The Next Frontier of Freedom
Freedom is more than motion. It’s choosing what you want to do, and doing it. The Semi-Autonomous Mobility (SAM) Suit helps people with high-level spinal cord injuries to walk, even without the use of their extremities or torsos.
Developing a Walking Solution
Arrow brings the right technology and right partners together to create a solution to make life better for Sam Schmidt and others with high-level spinal cord injuries. The SAM Suit is a semi-autonomous mobility concept that seeks to advance existing exoskeleton technology. In its early phases, it enables Sam to walk slowly and safely without tethering for short distances. Subsequent iterations will give Sam more control of the suit’s operation and additional potential movement, including turning and sitting.
Arrow and our collaborators are modifying an existing exoskeleton in several ways. To support Sam’s torso, we integrated a full rigid back board, sturdier leg branches, arm supports and extensive support straps. Sensors at his feet detect his stride and help to modulate his speed. Additional software controls and analytics can process more motion data to synchronize movements.
Fast Company magazine named the Arrow SAM Suit as a finalist in its “World Changing Ideas” program less than a year after Sam was first measured for his walking technology. The SAM Suit is included in the magazine’s summer issue.
Sam took his first steps in the SAM Suit in March 2021 at the DRIVEN Neuro-Recovery Center in Las Vegas. On April 25, he danced with his daughter Savannah at her wedding. As he continues his rehabilitation, he will walk at select public events to demonstrate how technology extends personal freedom and enhances opportunities for people with disabilities.
