Partially Paralyzed Ex-Indy-Racer Receives First License to Drive Autonomously

Sam Schmidt is a former Indy racing league driver who suffered a tragic testing accident back in 2000 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Thanks to the miracles of modern technology, his disability will no longer keep him from driving. He recently became the first quadriplegic person to receive a Nevada license to drive a semi-autonomous vehicle.

The license was proudly presented to him by Nevada Lt. Governor Mark Hutchison, who said that “presenting Sam Schmidt with the first autonomous vehicle driver’s license marks a turning point in our state and reinforces how fortunate I am to serve the people of Nevada—a state that values technologies and innovations that strengthen and improve our communities.”

And it’s not just any self-driving vehicle– true to form, Schmidt will drive a modified Corvette Stingray Z06, which he will operate by using his breath, head motions, and voice commands. The car was retrofitted by Arrow Electronics and is called the Arrow SAM car.

Schmidt will be able to use voice commands to start the car and switch gears. Optical sensors mounted on his headset and the dashboard will detect the movement of his head to steer while a sip-and-puff breath device will enable Schmidt to accelerate and brake the car.

And as it turns out, he is a better driver with his SAM car than most people are with standard cars. Earlier this year, Schmidt reached top speeds of 152 mph in the SAM car while doing demo laps at the Indy 500 racetrack. He even nailed challenging maneuvers at the gnarly Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, which is full of tight twists and turns.

The license has some restrictions, according to Ars Technica. While Schmidt is allowed to drive on Nevada highways, he cannot leave state lines. He’s also required to have a co-pilot and cannot drive in snowy or icy conditions.