Arrow Electronics has designed a first-of-its-kind, AI-powered steering system. Powered by an advanced NVIDIA processor, it uses facial recognition technology to control the latest SAM (Semi-Autonomous Mobility) Car.
Quadriplegic racecar driver Sam Schmidt recently drove at competitive speeds using the new system that he steers through head motions. Arrow engineers developed the new steering system using the latest NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin module, the only platform capable of delivering the high accuracy and low latency needed to control a car at speeds up to 213 mph.
A low-profile stereo camera pair located on the dash captures Schmidt’s movements in real time and feeds the data to the NVIDIA module. Using machine learning, the system processes the information and adjusts the steering angle automatically – within a few thousandths of a second.
The new AI steering replaces the car’s original four-camera steering that used an older, infrared motion-capture based technology.
“With the AI, it’s more controllable,” said Schmidt. “There’s no lag. It’s instantaneous for high speed.”
The steering enhancements could have everyday applications far beyond the racetrack. The technology could be used to control vehicles and large equipment in settings as different as farming, warehouses, public transit and construction so the operator – physically disabled or not – could perform multiple tasks.
“The SAM Car has evolved into a technology platform that really personifies enabling the benefit of technology for as many people as possible,” said Murdoch Fitzgerald, Arrow vice president of global engineering and design services.
