RACE f/x – How it Works

Sportvision’s most advanced system, the RACEf/x™ System, uses GPS (global positioning system) to track and display information on all cars involved in the race, in real-time. Using what’s called differential carrier phase GPS, the RACEf/x system is able to accurately measure the position of each car on the track accurate to two centimeters. Each racecar contains a DAPS (data acquisition and positioning system) unit as well as a telemetry and GPS antenna installed in the roof.

Antennas are set-up around the track to collect information from each car five times per second. This information is relayed to the Sportvision production truck where the data is aggregated and processed by an array of computers running proprietary software developed for the RACEf/x system. The total time needed to collect, process, and display this information in different various graphical forms is less than a second.

The most prominent graphic of the RACEf/x system is what’s known as the pointer. The most heavily used cameras are outfitted with specialized camera pan and tilt heads that track the movement of the camera. These cameras are calibrated by a process that “teaches” it where the track is in the video in relation to its position in the real world. Using this information and the GPS information, Sportvision is able to super-impose a “pointer” that points directly to any of the cars, and tracks the cars actual movement with its movement on the screen. The pointer consists of an arrow pointing to the car as well as a car number badge, driver name, real-time position, and one or two data items (ie. speed and time off leader).

The RACEf/x System generates several other graphics, including: Track mode which shows a graphic of the track as well as a badges of the car in question and the race leader along with relevant position information; and Dashboard mode which shows the driver’s RPM information, brake information, and throttle information.