Semi-autonomous motorcar wins Intelligent Systems category
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.-Arrow Electronics Inc. announced the SAM Project was awarded a 2014 Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Award in the Intelligent Systems category during a recent ceremony in London.
For the SAM (Semi-Autonomous Motorcar) Project, Arrow modified a 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray car with integrated advanced electronics and a human-to-machine interface so a qualified quadriplegic driver can drive it under racetrack conditions. Sam Schmidt, former Indy Racing League driver and current team owner, got behind the wheel of the semi-autonomous motorcar several times during race week for the 2014 Indianapolis 500. Schmidt controls the car through a hat fitted with eight infrared sensors, mouth controls, and four infrared cameras facing him inside the car. The cameras and sensors are integrated into a system that motion-tracks Schmidt’s subtle head movements in real time. Schmidt reached speeds of 97 miles per hour and marked his first laps on a professional raceway since a 2000 crash left him paralyzed.
Schmidt reached 107 miles per hour in subsequent laps at Indy. In November, Schmidt drove multiple laps on a road course in Germany that included left and right turns, as well as small hills.
The SAM Project is a collaboration between Arrow Electronics, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., the Air Force Research Laboratory, Schmidt Peterson Motor Sports, Falci Adaptive Motorsports, Craig Hospital and Conquer Paralysis Now.
“We began work on the SAM project to inspire all people – but especially disabled people – to be the drivers of their own lives. Our goal was to identify how technology, and companies like Arrow, can help overcome the barriers they face,” said Mike Long, chairman, president and chief executive officer for Arrow. “Together with our partners and our extraordinary team of engineers, Arrow is committed to innovation excellence, and this is yet another example of our commitment to working five years out.”
“Together with our partners and our extraordinary team of engineers, Arrow is committed to innovation excellence, and this is yet another example of our commitment to working five years out.”
The annual IET awards recognize innovations in science, engineering and technology across 16 categories. The Intelligent Systems award category attracted thirty entries this year, with five shortlisted for the overall prize. In addition to the SAM Project, these included an artificial pancreas device, a cross-border arrival management system, and a mechanical robot.
