Driving While Blind: Inspirational Hyundai Video Shows Potential of Autonomous Driving Tech
How the future of automotive tech can empower those without sight
Autonomous vehicles and self-driving car tech have been hot-button terms in today’s rapidly-advancing industry. However, this developing technology has only primarily focused on making cars safer and distracted drivers even lazier.
But instead of giving us a way to become passive drivers who don’t need to pay attention to the road, what if autonomous tech empowered individuals who have never had the chance to drive?
In a recent video released by Hyundai, those are the kinds of strides the automaker shows it’s making.
Although the video is in Korean, you don’t have to be bilingual to understand the good self-driving tech is doing for those with disabilities, including visual impairment. As seen in this young boy’s story, the future of automobile technology has the potential to change lives and cross barriers.
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Watch This Young Boy with Blindness Drive For the First Time
The video chronicles the true story of a young Korean boy and his love of cars. Despite being blind, the child has a fascination with automobiles, often playing with toy versions at home with his parents.
The boy struggles to fit in with his peers and often misses out on fun, everyday activities like driving bumper cars. As the child becomes increasingly frustrated, his father has an idea. He reaches out to Hyundai.
On a sunny autumn day, the boy and his parents meet with Hyundai officials and engineers at a small, unique testing track. Outfitted with a special helmet, the boy is seated in a miniature Hyundai Sonata and given the chance to drive. By utilizing features such as a push-button start, lane departure warning via auditory beeps, and computer-spoken descriptions, the boy is able to make a complete lap around the track.
In just a few days after its release online, the video has garnered nearly 100,000 views. Clearly people are starting to recognize that autonomous technology doesn’t distance cars from their drivers but rather responds to and interacts with them more, regardless of their state.
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