CENTENNIAL, Colo., June 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Quadriplegic
former IndyCar driver and current team owner Sam Schmidt completed the bottom half of the
challenging, high-altitude Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill
Climb yesterday in the Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW)
Semi-Autonomous Motorcar (SAM car).
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Schmidt, who was paralyzed from the neck down in a crash during
an IndyCar practice lap in 2000, is able to steer, accelerate and
brake the modified 2016 Corvette Z06 SAM car using only his head.
Sensors mounted on an Arrow-designed high-tech headset that Schmidt
wears connect to infrared cameras mounted on the dashboard and
detect his head-tilt motions to steer. A sip-and-puff device that
Smith breathes into enables him to accelerate and brake.
"Tackling the twists and turns of Pikes Peak in the Arrow SAM
car was a thrill I'll never forget," said Schmidt, who founded the
nonprofit organization Conquer Paralysis Now, which is working to
find a cure for paralysis and spinal cord injuries. "The SAM
project is a great example of what can happen when the right people
collaborate to push the boundaries of what's possible with
technology."
Schmidt tackled the bottom half of the challenging 12.42 mile,
4,725 ft. climb, which included dozens of twists and hairpin turns,
after the 102 official racers and drivers completed their
races.
Schmidt was joined by co-pilot Robby Unser—a nine-time Pikes
Peak class winner and four-time King of the Mountain—who could take
over the SAM car's controls in the event of an emergency. With
Unser by his side, Schmidt reached a top speed of 152 mph last
month in the SAM car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in between
qualifying laps for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.
"The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb captivates auto
enthusiasts around the world. It's the perfect place to showcase
the inspiring capabilities of Sam
Schmidt and Arrow's SAM car project," said Joe Verrengia, Arrow's global director of
corporate social responsibility, who oversees the company's
award-winning SAM project. "We hope the SAM car continues to drive
technology innovation forward and inspire people to dream big
because, as Sam showed us all yesterday, anything is possible."
The objective of the SAM project is to enable disabled drivers
to experience driving again by leveraging the power of technology.
All of 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.
The SAM project is a collaborative venture between Arrow
Electronics, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, the nonprofit
organization Conquer Paralysis Now and Paravan GmbH, a world leader
in innovative automobile conversions for drivers with severe
disabilities. For more information on the project, please visit
http://arrow.com/SAM/ or keep up with SAM project developments on
Twitter by following #ArrowDriven.
Arrow Electronics is a proud sponsor of the 2016 Pikes Peak
International Hill Climb. This year marked the 100th anniversary
and 94th running of the famed race and had competitors from the
U.S., Japan, Canada, Great
Britain, France,
Finland, Australia, Taiwan, Corsica, Poland, Brazil, Scotland, Austria and Switzerland all participating. To learn more
about the race, please visit http://www.ppihc.com/.
About Arrow Electronics
Arrow Electronics 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 serving over 85 countries.
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SOURCE Arrow Electronics, Inc.