Racer Sam Schmidt recently made a demonstrative arrival at the legendary hill of the speed festival in Goodwood. This happened for the first time after in 2000 it was partially paralyzed due to back injury. Sam can no longer use the hands to drive a car, so for it they developed a control system based on infrared chambers and respiratory systems.
Schmidt tried to recover for a long time, but in 2014 he went a different path and became a co-owner of Arrow McLaren SP, where he began to develop a special management system adapted for it. Already in 2016, he successfully handed over tests and received the right to drive on public roads on a modernized Corvette car. To participate in races, he uses McLaren 720s Spider, on which he drove into the hill.
The control system for Schmidt uses infrared chambers to accurately monitor the position of the header’s head, which replaces the steering wheel rotation. Acceleration and inhibition occur with commands created by breaths and exhalations. Both cars are equipped with GPS sensors and lidars, they independently hold on the road and do not cross the roadside. Also, Schmidt has an experimental exoskeleton “Sam Suit”, with which he can walk.
Source — Business Wire