Caution: Baby Driver on Board

You need to see this Associated Press news story about the University of Delaware researchers who have developed a joystick-controller robotic vehicle for disabled infants. The AP article shows Aniya Harris, a fully able, 6-month infant at the controls of this machine, dubbed UD1. Conventional wisdom held that children under the age of three years couldn’t grasp the concept of driving. Sure, that’s with a conventional steering-wheel, throttle setup derived from 100 years of driving automobiles. Use a 21^st-century joystick and mix in some ultrasonic crash sensors with computer assist and infants that can’t even walk can zip around with impunity. Baby Aniya already gets it.

Now it’s all in a good cause. The research is for the enviable goal of aiding disabled infants who miss out on learning mobility skills at the proper age. Yet I cannot but wonder at this latest development and compare it to the rapid rise of power chair and electric scooter use among adults. What becomes an aid for the disabled this year become’s next year’s Barbie’s Pretty Pink Pow’r Chair and GI Joe’s Lil’ ATV Rollin’ Weapons Platform for youngsters who want to emulate Grandma and Grandpa.

Note: This is the 150^th blog entry for Leibson’s Law, greatly exceeding my personal goal of 100 entries for the year. Many thanks to all of you readers who have written comments and encouraged or egged me on. I wish you happy holidays and happy new year.