Paralyzed Racer Drives Corvette Using Just His Head

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Advances in medical science is allowing doctors and researchers to make incredible leaps in technology and treatment for a wide array of ailments and diseases. One field of medicine that has been getting a lot of attention lately relates to neuroscience, and giving paralyzed people the ability to operate independently using nothing but their thoughts.

It sounds like science fiction, but the ability to operate a vehicle with nothing but a nod of the noggin has moved well beyond simple mobility scooters.

schmidt-3ESPN Sports Science took at look at the Semi-Autonomous Motorcar (SAM) project heading by Sam Schmidt, a former IndyCar racer and rising star who became a quadriplegic after a terrible crash during race testing at the now-closed Walt Disney World Speedway. Schmidt has been active in finding a way to make lives for fellow quadriplegics easier, and he has teamed up with some of the best medical researchers, scientists, and engineers in the world to turn a Corvette C7 into a symbol of hope for paralyzed people across the world. Arrow Electronics, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Falci Adaptive Motorsports, and the Air Force Research Laboratory joined forces to build a fully-integrated driving system that controls the Corvette using simple head motions.

While Schmidt has completely lost the use of his arms and legs, he still retains some control over his head and neck movements, and using infrared cameras and a special mouth-mounted sensor, Schmidt can accelerate, brake, and steer, with the system sending signals in as little as 0.001 seconds. Testing actually began last May, and once downsized in both size and cost, it could one day be as simple as sticking a small camera and computer on the dashboard to convert any car into one that can be driven without the use of the hands or feet.

Camera's track Schmidt's head movements, and he bites down on a sensor to brake.


As a former racecar driver, Schmidt wasted no time testing the Corvette’s acceleration, taking it up to speeds of 100+ mph while he was in complete control. While the system is both expensive, and relies on a number of intrusive cameras and sensors to operate effectively, it’s a testament to technology and the age we live in that a quadriplegic can drive a 460 hp Corvette using nothing but the movement of his head.

About the author

Chris Demorro

Christopher DeMorro is a freelance writer and journalist from Connecticut with two passions in life; writing and anything with an engine.
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