ARROWS - Cockpit Simulation Racing System

[arrowscsrs]

Hello to all reading this message,

My name is George Dounas and I am the founder of ARROWS, a project that takes a vanguard view of the cockpit simulation, aiming to redefine the model racecar concept.

We have recently launched a polling challenge in the Indiegogo crowd funding platform, named the “ARROWS a.k.a. How to drive Sebastian, Fernando and Lewis out of business” project that can be found at:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/33333 ... 91b81feb89

You are welcome to visit the platform, consider the suggestion made and, if agree, support our proposal.

Furthermore and regardless of whether you want to participate in the poll, you are invited to visit our page at http://www.arrows-csrs.com and send us your views on the project.

I wish to apologize beforehand if by my direct approach I have offended any of the users of the forum in any way, or indeed if by contacting you, the way I do, I have violated the forum rules.

Thanks for your attention.
The ARROWS Team

[Jersey Tom]

I actually think you'd be better off being more direct. Took me a while, and several video rewinds, to figure out what the concept even entails. This on a rare day that I have the patience to sit around and try and figure out what it is you're marketing.

[flmkane]

Actually I understood within 30 seconds

[No Lotus]

I've had and raced R/C cars since the 70's and have always wanted to have live onboard video. The technology is certainly ready for it, but I'm not so sure it will make sense to do it from a distance over the Internet.

[Richard]

We normally delete advertising posts, but this one raises some quirky ideas so it'll be fun to talk about them.

IMHO ....

When I raced RC cars it was because I wanted to get my hands on the mechanical bits and then see what I had built buzzing around a track. Then I could pick it up to tweak a bit to see if that was any better (not necessarily faster ). A virtual version would lose that tactile experience.

I'm not into games consoles, but I'd expect people do this because they enjoy high quality graphics an simulation leading to an immersive experience. I can't image a camera strapped to a scale model will be good enough for this.

To use a culinary metaphor, this is like showing someone a picture of a michelin star meal while feeding them a hamburger.

[arrowscsrs]

To Jersey Tom

Tks for your time to view the presentation and I am sorry I made it difficult for you (and possibly others as well).
The first 2 minutes of the video using the various footage, were intended to explain the whole project idea as
direct as possible, by visualizing the plan.
And that is a serious flaw, as the idea was being easy for all to grasp the concept immediately as they watched
the video.
Thanks for pointing it out to me.

Did you have the time to go over the written section as well ?
If so do you have any comments for me ?

[arrowscsrs]

To No lotus

There is not going to be over the internet. The driver and his team has to be present at the track.
The control room containing the drivers cockpit simulator will be a few meters from the track.

So it is in fact just like any RC racing , with the determinant that the model will be controlled through a cockpit simulator,
with all the benefits that has to offer.

Tks

[amouzouris]

I love the idea! I see two problems though. Since this will be a highly competitive sport, the weight and the aerodynamic disadvantages of the cameras, I believe, will be working against the whole spirit of the sport, as they are relatively speaking, heavy and large for an R/C car (I know how small they have become but a go pro or a contour for example are not exactly small for an R/C car) . For example an engineer will work to get the CoG as low as possible and then he will strap a heavy camera up high, where the driver's head would be, to get the real experience. That said its the same for everyone and maybe I'm just being too focused on details here.

The second problem is the lag from the racecar to the driver. The lag is really really small..but when the driver needs to react in a matter of 100 milliseconds the tine lag will play a big role. Other than that I think it is a great idea! I'd love to see it become a reality!

P.S. Are you Greek? I'm asking because of the accent. I am Cypriot myself

[Smokes]

Been tried and it currently doesn't work, drivers have literally been bolting on camera to r/c cars but it to difficult to get a wide it enough perpective to see the corners properly.
Try VRC pro First to get a better idea of rc car simulation views before going any further

[arrowscsrs]

To amouzouris

Tks for your post.
The problems you mention are indeed real.

The size of the equipment.

Guided by the professional simulators, the idea of getting the driver immersed into the live footage, primarily has to do with the visuals the human mind apprehend. The fact that the former use virtual footage while ARROWS will be using live footage, does not diminish the importance of getting crystal clear visuals projected on the 6 x 1.5 mtrs semicircular screen in front of the cockpit in the control room. And for that we need no less than HD quality visuals. Using any inferior quality visuals would not be worth it.
The project is expensive as it is, there is no reason why not perfecting it.

But the size and weight of these equipment cannot be accommodated on a standard 1:5 RC model.
That is why bigger models need to be produced to a scale of 1 : 3 or even better 1 : 2.25.
Moreover the HD onboard optical system is way too expensive, so we cannot afford have it lying there unprotected.
The transmitter (the size of a paper back novel) need be safely mounted and protected inside the cars' frame, while only
the camera will protrude from inside the model cockpit (as that of the head of the driver does) and will be get protected by a helmet like device.

As with regards the transmission lag, the transmitter manufacturer claim a latency of 1 frame at 30fps.
That is 1/30 = 0,033 seconds, or 33 milliseconds.
I guess this is less than the blink of the eye and we consider it be negligible.
It goes without saying that any new technology offering any lower latency will be implemented.

Please send us any other possible problems you spot.

P.S.
A Greek indeed (in the video presentation, the wall has a poster quoting "Give Greece a chance").

Tks

[rjsa]

One hundred million euro? How much for a seat when ready?

[arrowscsrs]

Richard / George

I did send a message thanking you but cannot trace it in, so here you go again.

Tks

[amouzouris]

Great to hear you are Greek!
Also one thing that just occurred to me, when playing a video game they usually use a higher frame rate than 30fps. Because you are much more alert and 30fps are too slow.. So I don't know how well it will work as driving a car at high speeds will make you very alert...I can't remember what frame rates video games use, my computing class seems like ages back! IIRC it is >60 fps to make it smooth... I don't know If you have considered that

[amouzouris]

One hundred million euro? How much for a seat when ready?

He said in the video that the goal is so high so that there is no chance of reaching it and the money will be returned back!

[arrowscsrs]

One hundred million euro? How much for a seat when ready?

rjsa, You obviously missed the irony.