Former IndyCar Driver Sam Schmidt to Drive
Road Course Racetrack in Sports Car Modified for Individuals with
Quadriplegia
Former IndyCar driver and current Verizon IndyCar Series Team
owner Sam Schmidt will drive a modified sports car on the Sonoma
Grand Prix road course on Sunday in a high-speed demonstration of
integrated semi-autonomous technology developed by Arrow
Electronics and its partners.
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Sam Schmidt driving the SAM 2.0 car
during the final road course engineering test drive in Morrison,
Colo. on March 13, 2015. (Photo: Business Wire)
Schmidt has been paralyzed and unable to use his arms and legs
since a racing accident in 2000. Driving a 2014 Corvette Stingray
equipped with advanced electronics for Arrow’s Semi-Autonomous
Motorcar (SAM) project, Schmidt is able to steer, accelerate and
brake using only his head.
“Arrow is committed to developing technology to help change
people’s lives,” said Michael J. Long, chairman, president and
chief executive officer for Arrow. “Our SAM car project continues
to demonstrate Arrow’s commitment to working five years out.”
Schmidt intends to conquer the twists, turns and hills of
Sonoma’s 2.52-mile road course—including a 180-degree hairpin
turn—in a demonstration lap prior to the start of the Grand Prix,
which determines the 2015 Indy Racing League championship.
Arrow launched the SAM project in May 2014 at the Indianapolis
500, where Schmidt drove four qualifying laps in the Corvette
reaching a top speed of 97 mph and garnering worldwide attention.
In subsequent demonstration laps at the iconic oval speedway,
Schmidt reached a top speed of 107 mph.
“I thought I would never be able to drive again after my
accident, but this vehicle makes it possible for me to improve
every time I am on the track,” Schmidt said. “Driving fast on a
road course just a year after Indy is incredible progress.”
At Sonoma, telemetry data from the SAM car’s operation and
Schmidt’s driving performance and physical status will be collected
and pushed into the cloud for a variety of new Internet of Things
(IoT) applications.
ABOUT THE SAM PROJECT:
The SAM project is a collaborative venture between Arrow
Electronics, Freescale® Semiconductor, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
and the nonprofit Conquer Paralysis Now. Arrow leads the
development of the SAM car and the systems integration, as well as
the engineering of specific systems for the car. Freescale’s
technology is featured in an advanced human-to-machine interface,
which includes automotive microprocessors and sensors based on its
MEM’s technology.
To drive on the Sonoma road course track, the SAM car was
updated with new cameras and more responsive driving controls. The
modifications allow Schmidt to make sharp left and right turns,
navigate hills and synchronize acceleration and braking more
precisely.
The SAM project’s objectives are not to transfer control of a
vehicle to technology, but rather to enable disabled drivers to
enjoy the driving experience by leveraging the power of
technology.
The SAM car integrates the following technology:
- Infrared camera system: sensors
mounted on Schmidt’s hat connect to infrared cameras mounted on the
dashboard that detect his head-tilt motions in order to steer.
- Sip/puff system: using breath
control, Schmidt can accelerate and brake the vehicle by sucking or
blowing into a tube attached to a Freescale-integrated pressure
sensor.
- Computer system: a central
processor from Freescale collects signals from the camera and
sip/puff system to control the car’s acceleration, braking and
steering.
- GPS technology: a guidance
system keeps the car within 1.5 meters from the edge of the track,
providing Schmidt with a virtual envelope about 10 meters wide
within which he steers.
- Safety system: a set of software
algorithms ensure the commands sent to the computer system are real
and defined within the vehicle’s limits.
- IoT connectivity: an Arrow
4G-LTE IoT gateway running Windows 10 Enterprise on an Intel server
collects, streams and stores API-accessible data in Microsoft’s
Azure cloud service.
Following the Sonoma Grand Prix, Arrow will bring the SAM car to
events for public inspiration and education, disabled community
awareness and business development opportunities.
The SAM project supports Conquer Paralysis Now, Schmidt’s
foundation dedicated to finding a cure for paralysis.
For more information on the SAM project, please visit
http://arrow.com/SAM/. Keep up with the SAM car on Twitter by
following #SAMracecar.
ABOUT SAM PROJECT
PARTNERS:
About Arrow Electronics
Arrow Electronics, Inc. is a global provider of products,
services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of
electronic components and enterprise computing solutions. Arrow
serves as a supply channel partner for more than 100,000 original
equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers and commercial
customers through a global network of more than 460 locations in 56
countries. Based in Centennial, Colo., Arrow guides today’s
innovators to a better tomorrow—a world of Five Years Out. Five
Years Out is a community of builders and engineers who navigate the
path between possibility and practicality. Arrow is guiding the SAM
project forward to improve mobility for the disabled and
demonstrate the power of innovation.
About Schmidt Peterson Motor Sports
Schmidt Peterson Motor Sports is a racing team owned by
quadriplegic Sam Schmidt and partners. SPMS competes in both
IndyCar and Indy Lights. The SAM C7 was modified at its racing
garage in Indianapolis. SPMS’s priorities are for Sam Schmidt to
safely drive at speed and to support the disabled community through
his related charity, Conquer Paralysis Now. www.spmindycar.com
About Freescale Semiconductor
Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE:FSL) enables secure, embedded
processing solutions for the Internet of Tomorrow. Freescale’s
solutions drive a more innovative and connected world, simplifying
our lives and making us safer. While serving the world’s largest
companies, Freescale is also committed to supporting science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, enabling the
next generation of innovators. www.freescale.com
About Conquer Paralysis Now
Conquer Paralysis Now, a nonprofit organization, is a leading
authority on spinal cord injury (SCI) research and treatment. CPN
is backed by an international coalition of medical doctors,
research scientists and business leaders who share a singular goal:
Finding a cure for paralysis. http://conquerparalysisnow.org/
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150829005013/en/
Arrow Electronics, Inc.Joe Verrengia,
720-320-1392jverrengia@arrow.comorMeghan Macdonald,
303-882-8610mmacdonald@arrow.com
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