nystagmus

Blind Man Drives Corvette After Experimental Surgery to Correct His Vision

July 24, 2020 2:30 pm

Alberta man born legally blind gets his driver’s license

At 44 years old, Mike Schickerowski got his driver’s license just two weeks ago. The father of three from Benalto, Alta., passed his test on the first try.

“It was overwhelming to think I was doing it at that age, but I did pretty well and I just couldn’t believe it,” Schickerowski said.

The reason it took so long to take the test is because he was born with nystagmus. He had been legally blind his entire life.

“It basically involves involuntary movement of your eyes,” Schickerowski said. “If you’ve ever taken a photo with your camera and moved it slightly or the object moved and it’s a blur, it’s the exact same symptoms. read more

Legally Blind Engineer Makes Self-Driving Car Sensors See

September 13, 2019 9:37 am

Nico Gentry, a 25-year-old manufacturing engineer from Orlando, Florida, is working in the autonomous car industry, where “they’re building the eyes for cars,” as he put it. He works at a LiDAR company called Luminar. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging; it’s a sensor technology that uses light to measure distance and detect objects, and it’s often called the “eyes” of self-driving cars.

Gentry has always loved cars. “I wanted so badly to get my permit and eventually my driver’s license,” said in a recent interview. But a neurological disorder called nystagmus that affects his eyes means he’s been legally blind since birth. read more