Blind people may one day drive

A prototype vehicle equipped with technology that enables a blind person to drive a car is scheduled to be demonstrated next year by US researchers.
 

The system utilises sensors that provide information to a blind driver about what's around the vehicle, such as whether another car or object is in front of the vehicle or in an adjacent lane, the Associated Press reported.
 

The planned demonstration of the technology - announced by the National Federation of the Blind and Virginia Tech - will involve a blind person driving a vehicle on a course that simulates a typical driving experience.
 

"We're exploring areas that have previously been regarded as unexplorable," said Dr Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, the AP reported. "We're moving away from the theory that blindness ends the capacity of human beings to make contributions to society." - (HealthDay News, July 2010)