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Schmidt Breaks 150mph In New Arrow SAM Corvette
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Sam Schmidt took the newest generation of Arrow's semi-autonomous car to 152mph at IMS earlier this week, smashing his previous mark of 107mph.
"It was a thrill to be back in control and hitting racing speeds on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway again," said the SPM co-owner, who set his previous top speed in a semi-autonomous car at IMS in 2014. "The SAM project is a great example of what's possible when the right people come together to innovate and push boundaries."
Schmidt, who has been a quadriplegic since a testing accident in 2000, achieved the speed in the project's new modified 2016 Corvette Z06, which boasts more than 200bhp more than the Stingray that it replaces.
Other updates include improvements to the electronic steering, acceleration and braking systems. Schmidt still controls the car with his head, but now sends input via an updated headset. Meanwhile, a new IoT [Internet of Things] platform allowed both Schmidt and Arrow engineers to make real-time adjustments to the car while it was on the track. In the cockpit, nine-time Pike's Peak Hill Climb winner and two-time Indy 500 starter Robby Unser has been recruited as co-driver.
"Arrow's engineers incorporated insights learned from the previous model to build an advanced car design that incorporates cutting-edge Internet of Things technologies and live data-streaming, among other exciting improvements," said Joe Verrengia, Arrow's global director of corporate social responsibility, who oversees the company's SAM project. "We hope the SAM car continues to inspire and drive technology innovation forward."
"It was a thrill to be back in control and hitting racing speeds on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway again," said the SPM co-owner, who set his previous top speed in a semi-autonomous car at IMS in 2014. "The SAM project is a great example of what's possible when the right people come together to innovate and push boundaries."
Schmidt, who has been a quadriplegic since a testing accident in 2000, achieved the speed in the project's new modified 2016 Corvette Z06, which boasts more than 200bhp more than the Stingray that it replaces.
Other updates include improvements to the electronic steering, acceleration and braking systems. Schmidt still controls the car with his head, but now sends input via an updated headset. Meanwhile, a new IoT [Internet of Things] platform allowed both Schmidt and Arrow engineers to make real-time adjustments to the car while it was on the track. In the cockpit, nine-time Pike's Peak Hill Climb winner and two-time Indy 500 starter Robby Unser has been recruited as co-driver.
"Arrow's engineers incorporated insights learned from the previous model to build an advanced car design that incorporates cutting-edge Internet of Things technologies and live data-streaming, among other exciting improvements," said Joe Verrengia, Arrow's global director of corporate social responsibility, who oversees the company's SAM project. "We hope the SAM car continues to inspire and drive technology innovation forward."
