I drove a McLaren 100 mph using my head to steer and my breath to accelerate, and it showed the amazing ways technology is helping people with disabilities

Barnaby LaneAug 2, 2022, 22:32 IST

Driving the SAM Car was an unforgettable experience.Arrow Electronics

The SAM Car was designed so that quadriplegic racer Sam Schmidt could return to the track.
The vehicle is steered with head movements and its speed is controlled with a breathing tube.

The SAM Car is no ordinary race car.

Designed by Arrow Electronics for the former IndyCar racer Sam Schmidt, who was left paralyzed from the neck down following a high-speed crash in 2000, the Semi-Autonomous Mobility (SAM) car is steered using head movements and its speed is controlled with a breathing tube.

The car has allowed Schmidt to make a sensational return to the track — something he never thought would be possible following his accident.

"Everything in my life is pretty much done by somebody else," Schmidt told Insider. "But in the SAM Car, I am in complete control.

"Before my injury, that was the most normal thing in the world. I didn't have that for 15 years, but now I have it again, it's exhilarating.

"It's truly amazing," he added.

I had the opportunity to both drive the car and ride alongside Schmidt around Goodwood Motor Circuit, one of England's most historic tracks.

The latest SAM Car is a modified McLaren 720S Spider.

The SAM Car is so impressive.Arrow Electronics

Initially, controlling the speed was a little strange to get used to.

But the steering was very intuitive.

It sounds as if it would be really difficult to steer a car without a wheel. But oddly, I found it isn't at all.

As explained to me by Schmidt, when you drive, you tend to follow the road with your eyes. "Just focus on doing that, and you'll be fine," he said.

Schmidt's advice worked perfectly, even at high speeds.

After a few laps, I was whizzing around the track.

But I was nowhere near as good as Schmidt.

Driving alongside Schmidt was amazing.Arrow Electronics

I wasn't the only person to drive the car that day.

On top of a couple of other reporters, Henry Fraser, a quadriplegic artist from England was also invited to come and drive the SAM Car.

Fraser was left paralyzed from the neck down after hitting his neck while diving into the sea on holiday in 2009.

He now paints using his mouth to hold the brush. His work is amazing and often sells for thousands of dollars.

Fraser described the experience as "beyond words."

I am inclined to agree.

Schmidt gets into the SAM Car using a hoist.Insider/Barnaby Lane

What's more is how the technology can move forward.

On top of helping Schmidt realize his dream to return to racing, Arrow has also aided Schmidt in his life away from the track.

He's been able to drive his children on the roads of New York and Washington DC in the car and has driven his wife across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

In 2021, using an exoskeleton designed by Arrow that allows him to walk, Schmidt was also able to dance with his daughter, Savannah, at her wedding.

Now, he wants the technology to be used to help others like him lead their best lives, both on and off the road.

"What we're seeing now, the applications can be as simple as getting people back to work," he said.

"A lot of time, people with disabilities like mine just want to go back to work, put money on the tables for their family and be a productive member of society.

"They've been told throughout the entire process, you know, your life is pretty much over as you knew it. We want to try to unwind that and say, 'What is your goal in life?' and then try to use physical training and technology to achieve that goal."

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