Trending...
- San Antonio Board of REALTORS® Among First to Use Passkey Login with Solid Earth's SSO Dashboard - 382
- Psychologist-Turned-Hermeticist Releases Modern Guide to the Seven Hermetic Principles
- Inked & Maxim Model Teisha Mechetti Turns Heads—And Builds Community Impact
CENTENNIAL, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Disabled IndyCar race car driver Sam Schmidt has returned to auto racing with the help of Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW), besting more than a dozen drivers in a recent two-day competition. Schmidt hadn't raced competitively since crashing during a 200-mph practice lap 20 years ago, an accident that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down.
He returned to competitive racing in Arrow's newest Semi-Autonomous Motorcar (SAM), a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette modified with electronic head and voice controls.
Schmidt was invited to race in the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge, a national racing series for amateur drivers who modify street cars for competition. He competed in the regional held Oct. 10-11, 2020 at the NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Ky.
The Challenge included four driving events plus an engineering and design presentation. Schmidt finished 34th overall out of 42 entries. He finished 12th overall in the Start/Stop event, which measures straight-line acceleration and braking.
The latest Arrow SAM prototype is a C8 Stingray. The Arrow car is modified with head controls, but not modified to boost performance like the other cars in the competition. The purpose of the SAM car is to demonstrate how technology can provide freedom and choice to people with disabilities, including high-performance driving.
More on Colorado Desk
"If you are able-bodied, technology makes life easier," Schmidt said. "But for people with disabilities it can be life-changing, giving them a level of independence they haven't seen before."
Engineers upgraded several SAM features, including expanding the number of cameras to track Schmidt's head movements more accurately. Four infrared cameras capture the driver's subtle head movements by tracking landmarks on the driver's sunglasses and helmet.
Two more cameras are 3D "time-of-flight" mapping units that confirm Schmidt's nose position while his head is moving to generate a centerline in the SAM computer for precise tracking.
The cameras are controlled and their data processed by new SAM programming.
Another design improvement is moving the driver to the right-hand seat. This unorthodox position gives Schmidt considerably more room to enter and exit the vehicle using a lift, as well as room for engineers to install a racing seat and other safety features for higher performance driving.
Right-hand seating also allows the safety co-driver to use the factory-installed steering wheel and pedals from the left seat for maximum control in case of an emergency. Previous SAM cars used auxiliary co-driver controls that were adequate but not as responsive as the Corvette's original equipment.
More on Colorado Desk
The goal of Arrow's 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. 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.
"This technology could eventually help a disabled person simply drive themselves to work—that's the one thing most disabled people want to do," Schmidt said.
For the past two years, Arrow has collaborated with Schmidt's nonprofit Conquer Paralysis Now and his DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center in Las Vegas so that people disabled by military combat, spinal cord injuries, illness and aging can experience similar freedom in the Arrow SAM Car on closed courses.
For more information about the SAM Car project, visit arrow.com/SAM/ or keep up with SAM project developments on Twitter by following #ArrowDriven.
About Arrow Electronics
Arrow Electronics (NYSE:ARW) guides innovation forward for over 175,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2019 sales of $29 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily life. Learn more at FiveYearsOut.com.
He returned to competitive racing in Arrow's newest Semi-Autonomous Motorcar (SAM), a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette modified with electronic head and voice controls.
Schmidt was invited to race in the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge, a national racing series for amateur drivers who modify street cars for competition. He competed in the regional held Oct. 10-11, 2020 at the NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Ky.
The Challenge included four driving events plus an engineering and design presentation. Schmidt finished 34th overall out of 42 entries. He finished 12th overall in the Start/Stop event, which measures straight-line acceleration and braking.
The latest Arrow SAM prototype is a C8 Stingray. The Arrow car is modified with head controls, but not modified to boost performance like the other cars in the competition. The purpose of the SAM car is to demonstrate how technology can provide freedom and choice to people with disabilities, including high-performance driving.
More on Colorado Desk
- Real Estate Experts Highlight Jersey Shore as a Smart Buy in 2025
- Colorado: Governor Polis: Congressional Republicans Causing Devastating, Negative Impact From Passing One Big Budget-Busting Bureaucracy-Building Act
- Colorado: Governor Polis Celebrates 4th of July, Marking 249 Years of Independence From Monarchy and Tyranny
- $18 Price Target Issued in New Research Report After $34 Million Revenue Forecast from Acquisition; $101.5 Million Net Revenue in 2025; NAS DAQ: IQST
- West Dentistry Welcomes New Oral Surgeon to Enhance Patient Care
"If you are able-bodied, technology makes life easier," Schmidt said. "But for people with disabilities it can be life-changing, giving them a level of independence they haven't seen before."
Engineers upgraded several SAM features, including expanding the number of cameras to track Schmidt's head movements more accurately. Four infrared cameras capture the driver's subtle head movements by tracking landmarks on the driver's sunglasses and helmet.
Two more cameras are 3D "time-of-flight" mapping units that confirm Schmidt's nose position while his head is moving to generate a centerline in the SAM computer for precise tracking.
The cameras are controlled and their data processed by new SAM programming.
Another design improvement is moving the driver to the right-hand seat. This unorthodox position gives Schmidt considerably more room to enter and exit the vehicle using a lift, as well as room for engineers to install a racing seat and other safety features for higher performance driving.
Right-hand seating also allows the safety co-driver to use the factory-installed steering wheel and pedals from the left seat for maximum control in case of an emergency. Previous SAM cars used auxiliary co-driver controls that were adequate but not as responsive as the Corvette's original equipment.
More on Colorado Desk
- The AML Shop Launches New Financial Investigations Unit, Appoints Director to Lead the Initiative
- Raidium révolutionne le diagnostic de la Sclérose en Plaques en partenariat avec l'Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild
- New Podcast "Spreading the Good BUZZ" Hosted by Josh and Heidi Case Launches July 7th with Explosive Global Reach and a Mission to Transform Lives
- The Herbal Care, Led by Markel Bababekov, Becomes a Top Dispensary in NYC's Upper East Side
- Trump Administration Freezes $71 Million in Education Grants for Colorado, Hurting Students, Teachers, and the Economy
The goal of Arrow's 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. 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.
"This technology could eventually help a disabled person simply drive themselves to work—that's the one thing most disabled people want to do," Schmidt said.
For the past two years, Arrow has collaborated with Schmidt's nonprofit Conquer Paralysis Now and his DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center in Las Vegas so that people disabled by military combat, spinal cord injuries, illness and aging can experience similar freedom in the Arrow SAM Car on closed courses.
For more information about the SAM Car project, visit arrow.com/SAM/ or keep up with SAM project developments on Twitter by following #ArrowDriven.
About Arrow Electronics
Arrow Electronics (NYSE:ARW) guides innovation forward for over 175,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2019 sales of $29 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily life. Learn more at FiveYearsOut.com.
Filed Under: Business
0 Comments
Latest on Colorado Desk
- Retired Hobbyist Launches Bold Weekly Album Project Using AI Songwriting Tools
- DimHum Launches Revolutionary CrowdShipping Service
- Eolian Signs New Information Exchange Agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense for Technology Innovation
- Oil & Gas Cleantech Challenge Announces 2025 Call for Applications
- Infinite Health Introduces Cutting-Edge Regenerative Medicine for Wound Care with Trip Goolsby, MD
- Top Dentist Concord CA, Smile Makers Dental Care, Celebrates 500 5-Star Reviews
- Colorado Springs: City to offer free activities for National Park and Recreation Month
- Colorado Springs: City to observe Independence Day
- Bio-Inspired Technology-Dynamic and Adaptable for unknown real-world environments
- How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs in Colorado Springs
- Michael Reafsnyder opens solo exhibition at Scott Richards Contemporary Art in San Francisco
- Colorado: Gov. Polis Urges House to End the Madness and Do Right by Coloradans by Starting Over on Federal Bill
- Valley Sleep Therapy Expands to Prescott with New Location at Crossings Road
- $17.4 Million Total Revenue for First Half of 2025 (up 31.8% YOY) for Global Wet Trades Services Provider with High Value Bitcoin Investments
- $12.8 Million Net Revenue for 2024 for Cloud-Based Crowdsourcing Recruitment and SaaS-Enabled HR Solutions Provider: Baiya International Group Inc
- New Housing and Public Safety Laws Take Effect to Save Coloradans Money on Housing and Make Colorado Safer
- Morris Animal Foundation Names Ike Nicoll as Chief Executive Officer
- 20/20 Institute Announces Expansion with New State-of-the-Art LASIK Center in Colorado Springs
- Hire Virtue Announces Executive Sponsorship Opportunity for Houston Hiring Blitz & Job Fair on August 6, 2025
- Inked & Maxim Model Teisha Mechetti Turns Heads—And Builds Community Impact