Daring to Dream
Sam is a former Indy Racing League driver. He made 27 career starts, winning at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1999. On January 6, 2000, Sam crashed during a practice lap at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, severely injuring his spinal cord. He was diagnosed as a quadriplegic. In 2001, Sam founded Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. His team, now known as Arrow McLaren SP, has won 13 IndyCar races and earned the pole position to start the Indy 500 pole in 2011 and 2016.
Despite his success as an owner and businessman, nothing compares to being behind the wheel in a race car. So in 2013, Sam collaborated with a team of Arrow engineers determined to make his dream come true—Sam would drive again.
Stepping Towards Mobility
The Initial Concept
Arrow with its partners developed a system where the driver wore a ballcap fitted with eight reflective dots. Infrared cameras in the cockpit found the dots and motion-tracked the driver’s subtle head movements in real time. Steering is controlled by head motions left and right, and the car responds instantly. The processor translated data from the cameras into digital instructions to a rotary actuator on the car’s original steering system.
For acceleration, the driver would tilt his head back and tap sensor embedded in the headrest, signaling the car to accelerate in 10 mph increments. The car responded via a rotary actuator attached to the gas pedal. For braking, the driver bit down on a sensor between his teeth, an instruction that is translated to a rotary actuator attached to the brake pedal.
Steering is controlled by head motions left and right, and the car responds instantly.
Developing the infrared camera system was only the first step. Translating that sensory data into actual car movements required some innovation. For version 1.0, the Arrow team engineered a central processor that interpreted the camera information and controlled the rotary actuators. It was sufficient for Schmidt to drive a 2014 Corvette Stingray at 100 mph on the Indy 500 oval track.
SAM Car Version 2.0
In version 2.0, Arrow and technology partner Freescale Semiconductor (now NXP) upgraded the infrared cameras to respond to the driver’s more nuanced head movements. They also moved the reflective dots from the driver’s ballcap to sunglasses the driver wears.
Acceleration and braking are combined into a single mouth device, providing more realistic “pedal” response and improved transitions. Now the driver can navigate tight turns left and right, even while driving up and down hills, found on more complex road course tracks.
Acceleration and braking are combined into a single mouth device, providing more realistic “pedal” response and improved transitions.
Finishing the Race
In 2016, the Arrow SAM team modified a new, faster Corvette Z06. On June 26, Sam Schmidt drove to the summit of Pikes Peak, elevation 14,110 ft. His run was featured in the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, a 12.42-mile course including 156 turns. He completed the run in 15 minutes, just 6:09 minutes behind the eventual winner who drove with conventional controls. Sam’s top speed was 80 mph. It was the most aggressive showcase of Sam’s renewed driving skills and technology-expanded mobility.
Arrow Electronics SAM Car – Top of the World
McLaren SAM Car debuts at 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed
After a series of modified Corvettes, Sam Schmidt now is driving a 2020 McLaren using advanced controls. In an advancement over the infrared cameras, the Arrow engineers are developing a new steering system based on facial recognition technology. When fully developed, it will eliminate the infrared dots and glasses as well as the infrared cameras and other hardware and the motion-capture software. The new system, which includes a machine-learning algorithm, instantly recognizes Sam’s face and body and determines the constant positioning of his head to turn the car.
SAM Technology
We did something historic. We modified a car so a qualified quadriplegic driver can safely operate it under racetrack conditions. We call it a Semi-Autonomous Motorcar or SAM Car. We’ve tested it on the track, learned from our success and optimized the system from improved performance. Take a look under the hood.
Cameras & Sensors
The driver wears a racing hat and sunglasses fitted with eight infrared sensors. Inside the car, four infrared cameras are mounted facing the driver. The cameras and sensors integrate into a system that can motion-track the driver’s subtle head movements in real time. For the Long Beach race, we upgraded the cameras. With a wider field of view, the new cameras are now more sensitive and responsive to Sam’s motions. In 2020, we added two more cameras, which serve as 3D “time of flight” mapping units that confirm Schmidt’s nose position while his head is moving to generate a centerline in the SAM computer for precise tracking.
Steering
The driver steers the car by looking in the direction he wants to go—on a curve, that’s the apex of the turn. The processor translates data from the camera and sensor to a rotary actuator on the steering wheel. The updates made to the SAM car for the Long Beach race give Sam more freedom and improved control over his “racing line.” That’s the most precise and efficient path that a race driver takes to complete a lap around the track.
Accelerating
In version 1.0, a sensor in the head rest, gradually accelerated in increments of 10 mph when pressed. In the current version, the driver puffs breath into a mouthpiece equipped with a Freescale pressure sensor, sensitive enough to respond to Sam’s input. The car responds directly via a rotary actuator attached to the gas pedal. The gas pedal is depressed based on the amount of air pressure Sam creates, giving him full control over acceleration—from a smooth gradual increase to a quick burst of speed.
Braking
The same mouth pressure sensor is used for braking. Sam “sips” on the straw, creating negative pressure that the system translates into braking. Sam can coast by not sipping or puffing.
Be the Driver of Your Life
This story isn’t just about racing. That’s because driving is so much more than getting around a track or from point A to point B.
The SAM Car is designed to restore independence, control and a sense of accomplishment to a qualified disabled driver. The technology breaks down barriers and opens new physical and emotional horizons. With a little help, we all can be the drivers of our own lives.