The National Federation of the Blind and Virginia Tech say they hope to demonstrate a prototype equipped with technology that helps a sightless person to get behind the wheel in 2011.
The technology, called nonvisual interfaces, will guide its driver through traffic by transmitting information about nearby vehicles or objects.
Vibrating gloves or streams of compressed air directed behind the wheel are among the options for communicating the information needed to avoid collisions and reach a destination.
Advocates for the blind describe the scheme as a "moon shot," drawing parallels with President John F. Kennedy's pledge to land a man on the moon.
"We're exploring areas that have previously been regarded as unexplorable," said Dr. Mark Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind. "We're moving away from the theory that blindness ends the capacity of human beings to make contributions to society."
Mr Maurer first came up with the idea that the blind could drive about a decade ago when he launched the organisation's research institute. "Some people thought I was crazy, and they thought, 'Why do you want us to raise money for something that can't be done?' Others thought it was a great idea," Mr Maurer said. "Some people were incredulous. Others thought the idea was incredible."
The vehicle is based in Virginia Tech's 2007 entry into the DARPA Grand Challenge, a competition for driverless vehicles financed by the Defense Department's research arm. The university's team won third place for a self-driving vehicle that used sensors to perceive traffic, avoid crashing into other cars and objects and run like any other vehicle.
Following their success, Virginia Tech's team responded to a challenge from the National Federation of the Blind to help them build a car that could be driven by a blind person. Virginia Tech created a dune buggy as part of a feasibility study that used sensor lasers and cameras to act as the eyes of the vehicle. A vibrating vest was used to direct the driver to speed up, slow down or make turns.
The blind organisation was impressed by the results and urged the researchers to keep pushing. The results will be demonstrated in January on a modified Ford Escape sport utility vehicle at the Daytona International Speedway prior the Rolex 24 race.
The latest vehicle will use nonvisual interfaces to help a blind driver operate the car. One interface, called DriveGrip, uses gloves with vibrating motors on areas that cover the knuckles. The vibrations signal to the driver when and where to turn.
Another interface, called AirPix, is a tablet about half the size of a sheet of paper with multiple air holes, almost like those found on an air hockey game. Compressed air coming out of the device helps inform the person of his or her surroundings, essentially creating a map of the objects around a vehicle. It would show whether there was another vehicle in a nearby lane or an obstruction in the road.
A blind driver, who has not yet been chosen, will drive the vehicle on a course near the famed Daytona racetrack and attempt to simulate a typical driving experience.
Dr. Dennis Hong, a mechanical engineering professor at Virginia Tech who leads the research, said the technology could one day help a blind driver operate a vehicle but also could be used on conventional vehicles to make them safer or on other applications.
Advocates for the blind say it will take time before society accepts the potential of blind drivers, and the safety of the technology will need to be proved through years of testing. But more than anything, they say it is part of a broader mission to change the way people perceive the blind.
Mark Riccobono, executive director of The NFB's Jernigan Institute, said when he walks down the street with his 3-year-old son, many people might think he, as a blind person, is being guided by his son.
"The idea that a 3-year-old takes care of me stems from what they think about blindness," Riccobono said. "That will change when people see that we can do something that they thought was impossible."