HAMBURG, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Frontier High School junior is proving that determination, patience and a passion for technology can go a long way.
Junior Aiden Bishop is putting those lessons into practice by building an autonomous robot car from scratch.
Bishop, who was born with optic nerve hypoplasia, a condition that left him 80 to 90 percent blind, designed, built and coded the project himself. The model vehicle is still a work in progress, but it can already move under its own power.
"I've been building, essentially, an autonomous car," Bishop said.
WATCH: Frontier student doesn't let vision impairment stop him from building robot car
His interest in technology began at a young age.
"I really love working with computers. From an early age, my favorite core subject was probably math," Bishop said. "Eventually, because of my visual impairment, I started working with computers more."
Using computer-aided design software, Bishop created parts for the vehicle before assembling the project piece by piece. The car uses motors attached to its wheels and is controlled through code that Bishop wrote himself.
"The hardest part about this is writing the code," he said. "I've got to tell the motor driver what to do, and then tell each motor what to do."
The work requires patience and attention to detail. Because of his vision impairment, Bishop relies on screen magnification software and his phone's camera to zoom in on small components and wiring.
"Other people can kind of just look and see where they're putting wires and stuff," he said.
Technology and engineering teacher George Ouimet said Bishop approached the project with a clear vision from the beginning.
"He came to me with the idea of building a car, and he knew exactly how he wanted to build it," Ouimet said. "I told him to sketch me out some plans. He had all his components, and he knew exactly how he was going to build it, so I let him rip, and he's been working on it ever since."
Ouimet said Bishop's determination and independence set him apart.
"Aiden does not let his disability hinder him in any way," Ouimet said. "He knows when he needs help, and he knows when he doesn't need help. He will always try to do it himself first, which is an awesome trait about him."
The project has also helped Bishop think about his future. He is involved in the cybersecurity and networking program at the Harkness Career and Technical Center through Erie 1 BOCES and is considering a career in technology.
"My disability doesn't really mean anything," Bishop said. "I can kind of do whatever, as long as I'm in the right environment for it."
For now, Bishop plans to keep improving the robot car and adding new features. Like the project itself, he says his ideas are still evolving.
"Well, yeah," he said when asked about future upgrades. "I have a lot of plans for it."
