Formula one, meet ar

Bringing
Augmented Reality
to FormulA 1

When 1000 Horsepower meets the future of Spatial Design
Formula 1, meet AR
Opportunity
Formula 1 is a highly technical sport. Often times information does not reach the driver in its optimum format. This compromises decision-making.
solution
An Augmented Reality experience where time and event-based information can be consumed by drivers via their helmet visor.
TEAM
Self-Led
FOCUS
Speculative Design
Automotive UX
Duration
10 weeks
Mentor
Siddharth Deshmukh

INTRO

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. 20 drivers race towards the finish line at 200+ mph with one objective in mind - the race win. The stopwatch does not lie. A behemoth of information is collected and analysed by all teams in order to optimise performance. Does the driver have just the right kind of information at the right time to make the right decisions on track, come raceday?
Go to the solution

Learnings

My passion for Formula 1 made it easy to identify a problem and even more exciting to work on a design-driven solution. It calls for asking very different questions when you’re crafting a solution that’s only visually consumed, as compared to designing a mobile or a desktop screen which is a more interactive experience. I learnt to identify problems which seem so transparent, but are very evident once the right questions are asked.
How Might We
1
Ensure that the driver receives information in its optimum format
2
Reduce the time lag in alerting drivers about an on-track incident 
formula 1, meet ar
The ‘visor’ on the helmet is the lens through which the driver views the world outside, making it the perfect space to
give drivers access to data points visually. Drivers can consume information via the visor, which will serve as a ‘screen’.
Jump to Solution
Design Process
A rather novel approach was taken to understand the key contributors to the experience. In order to design for a canvas in open space, what, when and how information is delivered becomes increasingly important.

Information Channels

Driver - Steering Wheel
Driver - Race Engineer
Drivers send commands to the wheel by pressing buttons & adjusting rotors, which applies changes to the car.
During the race, the driver’s only touchpoint is the Race Engineer (RE) via team radio.
The 2 information flow channels constantly intersect throughout a session ↓
Understanding Viewing Zones
To design an experience in Augmented Reality for drivers performing at high speeds, it is critical to understand their viewing zones to address any visual disturbance and safety concerns.
‍
The halo serves as a protective ‘shield’ between the driver and the world outside. As shown above, the driver’s viewing zones are split in 2. Everything the driver needs to see is viewed from these 2 zones.
Widgets in Augmented Reality.
a Canvas like no other.

The striped out area above the 2 veiwing zones is my canvas to design a solution. For Augmented Reality to work as an effective solution, it must be placed where the experience add to, not hinders, the drivers’ performance and more importantly, focus.

Glance UI
The 'Glance UI' approach ensures that essential data can be swiftly absorbed with just a momentary glance, allowing drivers to maintain focus on the road ahead. In the realm of interactive experiences within vehicles, particularly in scenarios where the user's attention span is fleeting—such as driving at high speeds along a twisting race circuit—the design of the user interface must prioritize quick consumption of information.
1
Wind Velocity
Formula 1 cars are highly susceptible to wind velocity. Understanding the velocity of wind at various sections of the track is crucial for drivers, enabling them to optimize their maneuvers and minimize time lost. Learning when wind conditions will augment speed v/s act as a hindrance is imperative for maximizing performance on the track.
Scenario | Headwind works in the favor of the car, enabling the driver to push more
DOWNFORCE | HIGH
TYRE GRIP | HIGH
CORNERING SPEED | HIGH
The driver is able to break much later into the corner and pick a very tight racing line, carrying higher speeds in and out of corners
Scenario | Tailwind fights the car, forcing the driver to ease into the corner
DOWNFORCE | LOW
TYRE GRIP | LOW
CORNERING SPEED | LOW
The tailwind reduces downforce and tyre grip, forcing the driver to break earlier and picks a more conservative racing line into the corner

Solution | Wind Velocity Widget

An ever-updating ‘virtual compass’ appears in Augmented Reality through the visor. The driver is now able to understand wind direction and speed in real-time at every corner.

Speed
The wind speed is placed at the heart of the compass, highlighted in one of three colors for understanding wind severity.
9
15mph & below
18
16mph - 29mph
37
30mph & above
Direction
The Wind direction is visualized using an arrow that rotates around the compass in real-time.
The arrow entering one of four zones represents the nature of wind direction relative to the car.
Headwind Range
Against traveling object
Tailwind Range
Along traveling object
Crosswind Range
Across traveling object
2

Time Deltas

Time is the unit of measure in motorsport. This is shown using the table below.
The 'Leader' column is the cumulative timesheet. This shows how far each driver is to the race leader. For eg. Ricciardo (RIC) is +8.00 seconds behind Leclerc (LEC).
‍


‍
‍
The 'Time' column shows the gap time between EACH consecutive driver. For eg. the gap between Sainz (SAI) and Russell (RUS) is +1.23 seconds.
Solution | Time Delta Widget
The time deltas between rivals can now be viewed in real-time by the drivers themselves. This piece of ever-updating data point will let drivers know if they’re closing up a gap on their rivals or extending a lead at the front.
Leclerc’s (LEC) POV

I've chosen universally recognized hues that are synonymous with speed in motorsport

Fastest
2nd Fastest
3rd Fastest
Slowest
Design Iteration 2

This was my first iteration. Since Hamilton is one position up on Leclerc, his time delta is negative. Since Verstappen is trailing, his delta is positive.

This UI doesn’t offer information clearly. The driver cannot afford to think about what colour the deltas are in. Critical information must be prominent, and yet not disturbing to the driver. This took me to the second iteration.

Design Iteration 2

The second iteration had 2 significant changes:
1. The names have been reduced to first 3 letters
2. Tabular format - the cells to the left now held the driver names AND the pace indication colour. The cells to the right shows the time deltas.

I soon noticed that this colour-code system might be misleading. For eg. since purple is the ‘fastest’, could this mean Hamilton is the fastest? I needed to rethink the logic as to what each  element would mean to different drivers.

3

Racing flags

‘Flags’ in F1 is a way of communicating about either the state of the race or an incident which occured on track. These flags are waved across the circuit by screens and marshals for the drivers to see them.  If any driver disobeys the rule which the waving flag stipulates, the driver will have to serve a penalty. The most used flags ↓

Solution | Notification Widgets

The appropriate flag or Safety Car notifications will be instantly flashed across the driver in AR through the visor. The prominence of this communication will depend upon the degree of importance.

Safety Car Notification
Impact | 4-Action Framework

Create

- A real-time data visualization and analytics platform for Formula 1 drivers
- A new, visual information channel for drivers

Eliminate

- Communucation time lag between the driver and his race engineer

Raise

- Real-time, accurate feedback for better decision making
- Performance-based racing
- Highlights the drivers’ ability to extract the most out of the race

Reduce

- Human error
- Chance of unforced penalties

Assumptions

  • All drivers consume certain information better visually
  • No driver will find the AR widgets distracting
    ‍throughout the race distance

Scope

  • Co-design with FIA, Teams and Drivers
  • Drivers may prefer different visual information formats.
    Teams can customize while keeping data standardized.

Bibliography

- Mercedes AMG F1. 2018. INSIGHT: Understanding Safety Cars in F1. [online] Available at: <https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/en/news/2018/06/insight-understanding-f1-safety-cars/> [Accessed 12 May 2022].
- Pretorius, L., n.d. Flags In F1 Explained - One Stop Racing. [online] One Stop Racing. Available at: <https://onestopracing.com/flags-in-f1-explained/> [Accessed 12 May 2022].
- Saha, D. (2020). Everything You Need to Know About F1 Helmet Visors and How They Work in the Rain. Retrieved 9 June 2022, from https://www.essentiallysports.com/f1-news-everything-you-need-to-know-about-f1-helmet-visors-and-how-they-work-in-the-rain/

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