Driving the SAM Car was an unforgettable experience. Arrow Electronics The SAM Car was designed so that quadriplegic racer Sam Schmidt could return to the track. The vehicle is steered with head movements and its speed is controlled with a breathing tube.
I drove it and was reminded of the amazing ways technology can help people with disabilities. The SAM Car is no ordinary race car. Designed by Arrow Electronics for the former IndyCar racer Sam Schmidt, who was left paralyzed from the neck down following a high-speed crash in 2000, the Semi-Autonomous Mobility (SAM) car is steered using head movements and its speed is controlled with a breathing tube.
The car has allowed Schmidt to make a sensational return to the track — something he never thought would be possible following his accident. “Everything in my life is pretty much done by somebody else,” Schmidt told Insider. “But in the SAM Car, I am in complete control.
“Before my injury, that was the most normal thing in the world. I didn’t have that for 15 years, but now I have it again, it’s exhilarating. “It’s truly amazing,” he added.
I had the opportunity to both drive the car and ride alongside Schmidt around Goodwood Motor Circuit, one of England’s most historic tracks. The latest SAM Car is a modified McLaren 720S Spider. The SAM Car is so impressive.
Arrow ElectronicsThe first version of the SAM Car was a modified 2014 Corvette Stingray; the vehicle is now in its third iteration. The latest model is far faster than any of the previous models, able to reach an amazing top speed of 212 mph. The technology that controls the direction and speed of the car has also much improved, though it adheres to the same concept.
Initially, controlling the speed was a little strange to get used to. —djbe. (@BarnabyLane_) August 2, 2022 Accelerating the vehicle is easy enough, you blow into the the tube, and the car goes.
But braking, I found a bit tough to master. Rather than inhaling normally, you have to suck the tube like a straw for the car to brake. With it being so sensitive, I found myself braking far too hard on the initial stretch of race track.
But the steering was very intuitive. It sounds as if it would be really difficult to steer a car without a wheel. But oddly, I found it isn’t at all.
As explained to me by Schmidt, when you drive, you tend to follow the road with your eyes. “Just focus on doing that, and you’ll be fine,” he said. Schmidt’s advice worked perfectly, even at high speeds.
After a few laps, I was whizzing around the track. —djbe. (@BarnabyLane_) August 2, 2022 But I was nowhere near as good as Schmidt.
Driving alongside Schmidt was amazing. Arrow ElectronicsAn accomplished racer, Schmidt spent three years in the Indy Racing League between 1997 and 1999. He won his first race in Las Vegas in 1999, just months before his career was cut short by a crash during testing in Florida.
Getting in the SAM Car with Schmidt as his co-pilot, however, it was clear to see he still had all the skills of a professional racer, despite so many years away from the track and his physical limitations. Taking the corners sharply at speed and accelerating to almost 200 mph on the straights, Schmidt raced round Goodwood in no time at all. I wasn’t the only person to drive the car that day.
On top of a couple of other reporters, Henry Fraser, a quadriplegic artist from England was also invited to come and drive the SAM Car. Fraser was left paralyzed from the neck down after hitting his neck while diving into the sea on holiday in 2009. He now paints using his mouth to hold the brush.
His work is amazing and often sells for thousands of dollars. Fraser described the experience as “beyond words. “—Henry Fraser (@henryfraser0) July 25, 2022 I am inclined to agree.
Schmidt gets into the SAM Car using a hoist. Insider/Barnaby LaneDriving the SAM Car myself was a brilliant experience. The technology made what, on paper, seems implausible very easy.
But it was sitting alongside Schmidt in the car that was even better. It was humbling to be aside someone who remains so determined to do what he loves despite the roadblocks placed in front of him, and watching him race around the track was truly amazing. What’s more is how the technology can move forward.
On top of helping Schmidt realize his dream to return to racing, Arrow has also aided Schmidt in his life away from the track. He’s been able to drive his children on the roads of New York and Washington DC in the car and has driven his wife across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. In 2021, using an exoskeleton designed by Arrow that allows him to walk, Schmidt was also able to dance with his daughter, Savannah, at her wedding.
Now, he wants the technology to be used to help others like him lead their best lives, both on and off the road. “What we’re seeing now, the applications can be as simple as getting people back to work,” he said. “A lot of time, people with disabilities like mine just want to go back to work, put money on the tables for their family and be a productive member of society.
“They’ve been told throughout the entire process, you know, your life is pretty much over as you knew it. We want to try to unwind that and say, ‘What is your goal in life?’ and then try to use physical training and technology to achieve that goal. “Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/mclaren-car-designed-quadriplegic-racer-shows-tech-help-disabled-2022-8
