Nevada Issues Nation’s First Autonomous Vehicle Restricted Driver’s License to Quadriplegic Former Racecar Driver Sam Schmidt

On September 28, Nevada Lt. Governor Mark Hutchison presented the first autonomous vehicle restricted driver’s license issued in the U.S. to Sam Schmidt, a Nevada resident and former Indy Racing League driver who has been paralyzed from the neck down since a racing accident in 2000.

“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. I'm confident today's events will serve as a catalyst for even more transforming technologies, which will enrich and enhance the lives of all Nevadans. I'd like to thank all of the dedicated individuals who had a part in making today a reality, and congratulate Sam on this milestone,” said Lt. Gov. Hutchison at the event.

After receiving his license, Schmidt demonstrated his driving skills on the Exotics Racing track and nearby public roads. Schmidt is able to drive a modified Corvette Z06 using only the motion of his head, his breath and voice commands. Arrow Electronics built the semi-autonomous vehicle, called the Arrow SAM Car, for Schmidt in 2014 to demonstrate the power of technology to improve lives.

Voice commands enable Schmidt to switch gears and turn the Arrow SAM Car on and off. Sensors mounted on an Arrow-designed high-tech headset he wears connect to infrared cameras mounted on the dashboard and detect Schmidt’s head-tilt motions to steer. A sip-and-puff device that Smith breathes into enables him to accelerate and brake.

Watch the Arrow SAM Car video

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has been working with Schmidt and Arrow since 2015 to become the first state to enhance regulations allowing Schmidt to legally drive the SAM Car on Nevada public roads under restricted conditions. Nevada is rapidly emerging as a leader in the manufacturing and automotive industry, creating and encouraging autonomous regulations, as well as testing and consumer deployment requirements.

“Arrow Electronics created a semi-autonomous vehicle in a short period of time that not only breaks the current definitions of autonomy, but also delivers a technology that has the potential to bring freedom to those who have physical disabilities. We were proud to collaborate with Arrow to pioneer a way for Sam Schmidt and the SAM Car to drive legally and safely on Nevada highways. This testing will help to improve their technology and bring them closer to providing increased mobility to the disabled community,” said Jude Hurin, Administrator for the Management Services and Programs Division in the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.

Working toward autonomous technology is a priority for Nevada to not only reduce accidents and fatalities on its roadways, but to eventually increase mobility and independence for people with physical disabilities, including wounded warriors. There are now six companies licensed for autonomous vehicle testing in Nevada.

“It’s been a privilege to work with the forward-looking officials in my home state of Nevada and with the great engineering team at Arrow Electronics to safely and responsibly advance autonomous vehicle technology,” said Sam Schmidt. “I can’t even begin to explain just how much this provisional driver’s license, and the mobility and independence it represents, mean to me.”  

The objective of the Arrow 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. 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.

“It’s an honor to collaborate with Sam and the state of Nevada to guide innovative autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle technologies forward,” said Arrow Chairman, President and CEO Mike Long. “We hope the SAM car continues to inspire people to innovate and dream big because as Sam showed us all today, anything is possible.”

Earlier this year, Schmidt reached 152 mph in the SAM Car during demonstration laps at the Indianapolis 500, and he also tackled the hairpin twists and turns of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The SAM Car 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.

For more information regarding the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles Autonomous Program and Regulations, please visit www.dmvnv.com/autonomous.htm.

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.

Media Contact
Meghan Macdonald
Arrow Electronics
(303) 824-4589
mmacdonald@arrow.com

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