Ford_News
01-31-2011, 03:30 PM
Filed under: SUV (http://www.autoblog.com/category/suvs/), Etc. (http://www.autoblog.com/category/etc/), Technology (http://www.autoblog.com/category/tech/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/riccobono-blind-lap.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/)
Mark Riccobono's blind lap of Daytona - Click above for high-res image gallery
Another year, another Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona champion. Something interesting happened before the prototypes took to the track, though, when a Ford Escape Hybrid (http://www.autoblog.com/model/escape) took on the 1.5-mile road course. The driver, Mark Anthony Riccobono, didn't break any speed records... but he did successfully maneuver the Escape without the help of a very crucial driving aid - vision.
Riccobono is blind, and with the help of non-visual technology, he completed the Daytona (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/Daytona/) road course. Beyond simply making lefts and rights, Riccobono also had to avoid a variety of obstacles. Some were stationary while others were thrown randomly from the back of a van. Riccobono avoided them all, and then he passed the van before crossing the finish line.
The event marks the first time a blind person has driven a vehicle around a course without the aid of a sighted person. It was a major milestone for the Blind Driver Challenge (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/11/prototype-cart-with-feedback-controls-lets-the-blind-drive-w-vi/), which aims to improve blind-interface technology. Check out the press release after the break (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/#continued).
Gallery: Mark Anthony Riccobono's blind lap of Daytona (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/07-riccobono-blind-daytona_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/#3834179)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/08-riccobono-blind-daytona_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/#3834180)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/01-riccobono-blind-daytona_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/#3834173)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/05-riccobono-blind-daytona_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/#3834177)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/02-riccobono-blind-daytona_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/#3834174)
[Source: National Federation of the Blind | Images: Terry Renna and John Raoux/AP]Continue reading Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/)
Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19821989/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/riccobono-blind-lap.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/)
Mark Riccobono's blind lap of Daytona - Click above for high-res image gallery
Another year, another Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona champion. Something interesting happened before the prototypes took to the track, though, when a Ford Escape Hybrid (http://www.autoblog.com/model/escape) took on the 1.5-mile road course. The driver, Mark Anthony Riccobono, didn't break any speed records... but he did successfully maneuver the Escape without the help of a very crucial driving aid - vision.
Riccobono is blind, and with the help of non-visual technology, he completed the Daytona (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/Daytona/) road course. Beyond simply making lefts and rights, Riccobono also had to avoid a variety of obstacles. Some were stationary while others were thrown randomly from the back of a van. Riccobono avoided them all, and then he passed the van before crossing the finish line.
The event marks the first time a blind person has driven a vehicle around a course without the aid of a sighted person. It was a major milestone for the Blind Driver Challenge (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/11/prototype-cart-with-feedback-controls-lets-the-blind-drive-w-vi/), which aims to improve blind-interface technology. Check out the press release after the break (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/#continued).
Gallery: Mark Anthony Riccobono's blind lap of Daytona (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/07-riccobono-blind-daytona_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/#3834179)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/08-riccobono-blind-daytona_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/#3834180)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/01-riccobono-blind-daytona_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/#3834173)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/05-riccobono-blind-daytona_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/#3834177)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/01/02-riccobono-blind-daytona_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mark-anthony-riccobonos-blind-lap-of-daytona/#3834174)
[Source: National Federation of the Blind | Images: Terry Renna and John Raoux/AP]Continue reading Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/)
Blind man tackles the road course at Daytona on his own (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19821989/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/blind-man-tackles-the-road-course-at-daytona-on-his-own/)