Autonomous tech to make motorsport safer

As the race to develop and deploy foolproof autonomous cars continues, Israeli tech company Autotalk and motorsport start-up Griiip says its newly developed vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology originally designed for use on public roads could improve the safety of race car drivers on race tracks.

The system won’t take over the steering of the driver to avoid an accident like it would on a public road, but the company claims its V2V technology can "eliminate a significant number of race car accidents and casualties in professional and amateur racing".

Griiip says testing at the Be'er Sheva motorsport park in Israel, involving its 1000cc open-wheel G1 race cars equipped with communication chipsets made by Autotalks, demonstrates how drivers would be alerted to dangerous scenarios on track well before yellow flags or lights can be seen. The race series is due to kick off in Italy this year.

The system works by sending warning messages to all drivers on track in the form of flashing yellow lights on the steering wheel and an audible alert, which grows in intensity in relation to the drivers' proximity to the incident.

V2V technology has traditionally been applied to self-driving cars for road use, to allow an autonomous vehicle – whether it’s a car or truck – to 'see' what other vehicles are doing. In theory, this will improve safety and reduce traffic congestion.

"Griiip acts as a development platform and gateway for new technologies into the world of motorsport, aiming to improve its every aspect, while keeping safety in top priority," said Tamir Plachinsky, CEO of Griiip.

"Using Autotalks' technology, we are able to provide the G1 drivers with immediate and accurate warnings, keeping them safer on the track," he said.

There are currently several cars available today that can drive by themselves for certain periods of time, including the Tesla Model S and X and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

By combining camera-based lane-keeping and radar-based cruise control systems -- rather than V2V technology -- they deliver Level 2 (hands off) autonomous driving, allowing drivers to relax behind the wheel where legislation permits.

Audi, which has tested its autonomous vehicle technology on race tracks, claims its new A8 limousine will push society closer than ever towards the driverless vehicle, by being the world’s first Level 3 (eyes off) autonomous vehicle.

However, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) and V2V technology such as that developed by Autotalks and Griip for motorsport applications, will be key to fully autonomous (Level 4 and 5) vehicles of the future.