On Thursday March 5^th, I attended the Arrow IoT Immersions Event at the Santa Clara Convention Center (Silicon Valley).  I was able to network with a number of Silex Technology Ecosystem Partners including Arrow Electronics, Freescale Semiconductor and Qualcomm Atheros.  I was also able to attend several presentations and industry panels to gain insights into new technology trends that will impact the future of the Internet of Things.

What I didn’t expect was to be inspired by the keynote speaker, Sam Schmidt.

Schmidt was a promising driver with 27 Indy Racing League starts when he went into the wall at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Florida on January 6, 2000. Being paralyzed below the shoulders, he knew he’d never race again, but one year later he returned to motorsports with his own team, now known as Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. He’s enjoyed a measure of success as a team owner, but driving seemed out of the question.  Until the folks at Arrow Electronics called to ask if he’d like to get behind the wheel again. Schmidt said he signed on “without hesitation.”

For the Semi-Autonomous Motorcar (SAM) Project, Arrow– joined by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Falci Adaptive Motorsports, and the Air Force Research Laboratory, which will monitor Schmidt’s biometrics and interaction with the guidance systems as he drives–spent 11 months making a few changes to a 2014 Corvette Stingray packing 460 horsepower.

Schmidt drove on the track at 107 miles per hour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Pole Day, a week before the Indy 500.

Beyond getting one man back on a track, the SAM Project could one day improve mobility for those with paralysis and other injuries. He can see such a system being applied to home and workplace automation and elsewhere so people can “regain their freedom.”

In his keynote address, Schmidt shared how technology and Arrow Electronics changed his life and potentially the lives of others in the future.  I am proud to be associated with Arrow Electronics, a new distribution partner of Silex Technology embedded Wi-Fi modules and it has motivated me to challenge myself to “Make a Difference” for society.

Please take a minute to view the below video titled, “I am a Race Car Driver”.