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987,048 views | Dennis Hong • TED2011

Making a car for blind drivers

Using robotics, laser rangefinders, GPS and smart feedback tools, Dennis Hong is building a car for drivers who are blind. It's not a "self-driving" car, he's careful to note, but a car in which a non-sighted driver can determine speed, proximity and route -- and drive independently.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Using robotics, laser rangefinders, GPS and smart feedback tools, Dennis Hong is building a car for drivers who are blind. It's not a "self-driving" car, he's careful to note, but a car in which a non-sighted driver can determine speed, proximity and route -- and drive independently.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speaker

Roboticist, magician, chef and professor

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Dennis Hong is a professor and the Founding Director of RoMeLa (Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory) at UCLA. His research focuses on robot locomotion and manipulation, autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots.