Nevada Issues Nation’s First Autonomous Vehicle Restricted Driver’s License to Quadriplegic Former Racecar Driver Sam Sch...
September 28 2016 - 12:00PM
Business Wire
Schmidt can now drive the Arrow Electronics’
semi-autonomous car on public roads under restricted conditions
Nevada continues to lead on autonomous vehicle tech, policy and
infrastructure
Nevada Lt. Governor Mark Hutchison today presented the first
autonomous vehicle restricted driver’s license issued in the U.S.
to Sam Schmidt, a Nevada resident and former Indy Racing League
driver who has been paralyzed from the neck down since a racing
accident in 2000.
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Sam Schmidt and the Arrow Electronics SAM
Car Project team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May. (Photo:
Business Wire)
“Presenting Sam Schmidt with the first autonomous vehicle
driver's license marks a turning point in our state and reinforces
how fortunate I am to serve the people of Nevada—a state that
values technologies and innovations that strengthen and improve our
communities. I'm confident today's events will serve as a catalyst
for even more transforming technologies, which will enrich and
enhance the lives of all Nevadans. I'd like to thank all of the
dedicated individuals who had a part in making today a reality, and
congratulate Sam on this milestone,” said Lt. Gov.
Hutchison.
After receiving his license, Schmidt demonstrated his driving
skills on the Exotics Racing track and nearby public roads. Schmidt
is able to drive a modified Corvette Z06 using only the motion of
his head, his breath and voice commands. Arrow Electronics built
the semi-autonomous vehicle, called the Arrow SAM Car, for Schmidt
in 2014 to demonstrate the power of technology to improve
lives.
Voice commands enable Schmidt to switch gears and turn the Arrow
SAM Car on and off. Sensors mounted on an Arrow-designed high-tech
headset he wears connect to infrared cameras mounted on the
dashboard and detect Schmidt’s head-tilt motions to steer. A
sip-and-puff device that Smith breathes into enables him to
accelerate and brake.
Watch the Arrow SAM Car video
The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has been working with
Schmidt and Arrow since 2015 to become the first state to enhance
regulations allowing Schmidt to legally drive the SAM Car on Nevada
public roads under restricted conditions. Nevada is rapidly
emerging as a leader in the manufacturing and automotive industry,
creating and encouraging autonomous regulations, as well as testing
and consumer deployment requirements.
“Arrow Electronics created a semi-autonomous vehicle in a short
period of time that not only breaks the current definitions of
autonomy, but also delivers a technology that has the potential to
bring freedom to those who have physical disabilities. We were
proud to collaborate with Arrow to pioneer a way for Sam Schmidt
and the SAM Car to drive legally and safely on Nevada highways.
This testing will help to improve their technology and bring them
closer to providing increased mobility to the disabled community,”
said Jude Hurin, Administrator for the Management Services and
Programs Division in the Nevada Department of Motor
Vehicles.
Working toward autonomous technology is a priority for Nevada to
not only reduce accidents and fatalities on its roadways, but to
eventually increase mobility and independence for people with
physical disabilities, including wounded warriors. There are now
six companies licensed for autonomous vehicle testing in
Nevada.
“It’s been a privilege to work with the forward-looking
officials in my home state of Nevada and with the great engineering
team at Arrow Electronics to safely and responsibly advance
autonomous vehicle technology,” said Sam Schmidt. “I can’t
even begin to explain just how much this provisional driver’s
license, and the mobility and independence it represents, mean to
me.”
The objective of the Arrow SAM Car project is to enable drivers
with physical disabilities to experience the mobility and
independence of driving again by leveraging the power of
technology. All of the software and technology that Arrow developed
for the car is open to the developer and engineering communities,
and it has promising broader applications for independent
living.
“It’s an honor to collaborate with Sam and the state of Nevada
to guide innovative autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle
technologies forward,” said Arrow Chairman, President and CEO
Mike Long. “We hope the SAM car continues to inspire people to
innovate and dream big because as Sam showed us all today, anything
is possible.”
Earlier this year, Schmidt reached 152 mph in the SAM Car during
demonstration laps at the Indianapolis 500, and he also tackled the
hairpin twists and turns of the Pikes Peak International Hill
Climb. The SAM Car project is a collaborative venture between Arrow
Electronics, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, the nonprofit
organization Conquer Paralysis Now and Paravan GmbH, a world leader
in innovative automobile conversions for drivers with severe
disabilities.
For more information on the project, please visit
http://arrow.com/SAM/ or keep up with SAM project developments on
Twitter by following #ArrowDriven.
For more information regarding the Nevada Department of Motor
Vehicles Autonomous Program and Regulations, please visit
www.dmvnv.com/autonomous.htm.
About Arrow Electronics:
Arrow Electronics is a global provider of products, services and
solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic
components and enterprise computing solutions. Arrow serves as a
supply channel partner for more than 100,000 original equipment
manufacturers, contract manufacturers and commercial customers
through a global network of more than 460 locations serving over 85
countries.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160928005027/en/
Arrow ElectronicsAmanda Kelly,
720-224-7531akelly@arrow.comorNevada DMVAlex Smith,
775-684-779bsmith@dmv.nv.gov
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