Motorsport Data Analysis Tools
This project was created to make data analysis during and after testing easier to digest. For powertrain health and performance, vehicle dynamics, driver inputs and aerodynamics.
The problem
Too often have I found that when sim racing or actually racing when I participated in Formula Student was data recorded and then nothing was done with it. In another case, someone would try to look at the data during testing or after the fact for working on a project and not understand what they are looking at or what it means.
What I built
Mainly having experience with MoTeC i2 through sim racing and Formula Student, I decided I wanted to improve the environment from the baseline to provide more meaningful information to drivers and engingeers to get a better understanding of what is happening to the car and inside it with the drivers inputs. This way during testing the data log can quickly be pulled and reviewed without need for additional software of complexity in the field. However, in addition to this I also wanted to be able to make easy to digest reports to summarize testing after it is completed. For this I used Matlab to sort relivant data for powertrain, vehicle dynamics, driver and aerodynamics and populate a Word document that can then easily be shared.
Result
This project is currently underway, I will update this once I have more to show!
Driver
The driver is a very complex system that is integral to the performance of the racing car. Additionally, no one driver is the same. Some drivers have more experience, talent, good habits while others may not. There is a few ways I have decided were the most important to start looking at when analyzing drivers.
One thing that comes up in Formula Student is that most drivers have very little to no racing experience, besides occasional go-karting and simulator racing. This can mean that drivers can be on a very different level. This is important for the endurance event because