Prototype Vehicle For the Blind

An anonymous reader writes "A student team from Virginia Tech Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory have created a vehicle which allows the blind to drive. The vehicle uses a laser range finder to determine distances and alerts the driver through voice commands and vibration. Tomorrow [Friday] morning, the vehicle will have its first public test drive at the University of Maryland. At last, Braille on drive-up ATMs may finally be vindicated."

OT: A Word on Braille on Drive-up ATMs

[prichardson]

Q: What's the only thing more moronic than having braille on a drive-up ATM?

A: Manufacturing two different keypads when one does just fine and incurring the costs to do so.

In other words, having braille on all ATMs doesn't hurt anyone, even if it's an ATM that would be otherwise impractical for a visually impaired person.

The reason for braille on drive-up ATMs

[FlyingSquidStudios]

People cite braille on drive-up ATMs as political correctness gone crazy or the ludicrousness of government regulation, but the real reason that there is braille on drive-up ATMs is that it's not cost-effective to make two sets of ATM machines, one with braille and one without, especially since the braille has absolutely no effect on the way the machine functions. A second, braille-free model would just be for cosmetic reasons.

Re:The reason for braille on drive-up ATMs

[SignOfZeta]

[...] ATM machines [...]

I knew someone would do this. You bring up ATM machines, PIN numbers, and the HIV virus, and acronyms get no respect.

We've had these for ages...

[wisdom_brewing]

Theyre called taxis...