Formula 1’s virtual reality

The decision to ban all circuit testing in the Formula 1 season was designed to save the teams money. For the big teams, however, the battle has simply moved from the race tracks to the factories where advanced simulation technology will take over from actual running.

A real car that is at home on the track as it is in a virtual world

Teams these days are using an array of different tools to make the cars go faster. These include highly-advanced rolling-road wind tunnels, transient dynos and seven-post rigs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is developing fast. The goal of all of these expensive items is to ensure that the racing cars are as competitive as possible – and as reliable. But simulation techniques in Formula 1 are now beginning to go far beyond that. Computers crunch away to work out every conceivable race strategy and increasingly the teams are realising the value of what are known as “driver-in-the-loop simulators”. This means that rather than engineers playing with computers, as happens with other simulation, the F1 drivers sit in “virtual” F1 cars and drive them….read the rest of the article by clicking here.
January 14, 2009, BY Joe Saward

In addition we have released some rarely seen photos of the PET250 model Formula Simulator in construction.

Working on both PET250 and 110 models. Real cars that put the reality back into virtual reality.

Packing in the electronics converges the real world with the virtual.

All the sim parts need to be able to drive an actual car.

Simulators that can do donuts in the real world!!

Testing well underway by our rookie driver.

Testing completed and ready for some high speed action.

500kg, 4m of high speed simulatior at a circuit near you.

Who wants to come racing?

The range of SimDeck Formula Simulators are unique in the way we bring the virtual race experience alive. With 3 of our models you can race them on an actual road, and all use exclusively the ICE Digital Daytime Screen technology, allowing stunning life size images. “SimDeck, putting the reality into virtual reality”.