Nascar quadraplegic Sam Schmidt reaches 100mph in this tricked out Stingray
The former racer and IndyCar team owner can control the Corvette using head movements and voice commands Following a horrible wreck back in 2000, IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt was left paralyzed from the neck down and following the crash, he founded his own racing team, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
Key takeaways
- Following a horrible wreck back in 2000, IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt was left paralyzed from the neck down and following the crash, he founded his own racing team, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
- The car was modified by Arrow Electronics to respond to head movement, voice commands, and breathing changes.
- The company has been developing the car since 2014 and worked with the Nevada DMV to clear the way for Schmidt to receive his license again.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Nascar quadraplegic Sam Schmidt reaches 100mph in this tricked out Stingray', 311 Institute, 29 September. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/nascar-quadraplegic-sam-schmidt-reaches-100mph-in-this-tricked-out-stingray/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
The former racer and IndyCar team owner can control the Corvette using head movements and voice commands
Following a horrible wreck back in 2000, IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt was left paralyzed from the neck down and following the crash, he founded his own racing team, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Now, more than 15 years later, modifications made to his 2014 Corvette will allow him to drive on his own once again and as a result Schmidt will be the first person in the US to receive a license to drive a semi-autonomous vehicle.
The car was modified by Arrow Electronics to respond to head movement, voice commands, and breathing changes. The company has been developing the car since 2014 and worked with the Nevada DMV to clear the way for Schmidt to receive his license again.
As you can see from the video Schmidt controls the car using a custom headset and acceleration and braking are controlled by inhaling and exhaling while steering is controlled by turning his head side to side.
However, with new stem cell and graphene treatments already showing that they can reverse paralysis one day he might be able to take the wheel for real.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The former racer and IndyCar team owner can control the Corvette using head movements and voice commands Following a horrible wreck back in 2000, IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt was left paralyzed from the neck down and following the crash, he founded his own racing team, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Sam Schmidt was left paralyzed espn.com
- Arrow Electronics community.arrow.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 29 September 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Nascar quadraplegic Sam Schmidt reaches 100mph in this tricked out Stingray. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/nascar-quadraplegic-sam-schmidt-reaches-100mph-in-this-tricked-out-stingray/
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