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Be it Formula One racing, or sailing, the race participants can access information while they are moving without needing to take their hands and eyes off the action. Here's how.

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IN Formula One racing, not so long ago, the people in the pits had to yell out to the driver to let him know about oil slicks, accidents, lap time, and so on. And if the driver had to pass on messages to the pits, then he had to make a pit stop, which meant loss of time for the driver and his team in a scenario where every second is precious.

But today, technology has revolutionised the way in which the race driver and the pit crew communicate. Today's race driver has two ways of getting information: One is to have a computer on board. But then, he will have to keep his eyes off the road for some time. That is risky and he could also lose precious time in this process. The other option would be to speak via radio with his pit, having someone feeding him the information he needs, but then here too, he could get distracted. In either case, it's not really like getting information and upgrades in real time. To overcome this hurdle, BMW Technology Office has created a system known as the BMW Wireless Microdisplay System. It works by displaying real-time race information, directly and wirelessly, on to the helmet visor of the race driver. With the help of the miniature display, the F1 driver gets the data he wants without being distracted from what is happening on the track.

This new technology is so powerful a tool in Formula One racing that it has made its way into sailing too, not surprisingly. The technology, originally developed for Ralf Schumacher's F1 racing helmet, was transferred to the Oracle BMW Racing sailing team, and has been adapted with TAG Heuer to assist the US-based Challenger team in their bid to win America's Cup.

Tag Heuer hasprovided the Tag Heuer Sport Vision `Physics' sunglasses that have been modified to incorporate the microdisplay system into them. So the sailors in each boat communicate with each other simply through their sunglasses. They don't have to leave their corner to pass on or receive some vital information.

Now let's take a look at how the system works in Formula One racing and sailing.

In F1 racing

The car driver in a Formula One event now does not need to stop at the pits for information, thus losing precious time. Information he needs is displayed on the visor of his helmet so he can read as he races.

A small radio terminal is planted in the helmet. The terminal is wireless and can be activated from the pits by the engineers. The necessary data is fed into this radio terminal, which in turn displays the information received on the driver's visor.

The information displayed has to be crystal-clear for the driver to read. The answer to this is in the lens element known as a free form prism. The microdisplay has a high-resolution true colour display, which is based on active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) technology. If you're wondering what exactly is AMLCD technology, it is a panel used to display data, images, symbols, and text for human-readable screens. One of the many applications for this technology is in aviation.

In sailing

Instead of the helmet, in sailing, the sailor's sunglasses do the job. A small radio terminal is planted on the `branch' of the Tag Heuer Sport Vision sunglasses. The terminal receives the information needed by the sailor and projects it on the lens so that he can read it whenever he wants (like Arnold Schwarzenegger's glasses in Terminator, for instance). An interface unit located on the sailboat registers information provided by the onboard telemetry system and then distributes individually-tailored data to the lenses of the sailor's sunglasses. Clear access to this information can provide a distinct performance advantage.

With the sailboat performance data available directly in his line of sight, an Oracle BMW Racing sailor is able to better concentrate on his tasks, and communicate constantly with his companions, without having to struggle to read the traditional information displays located around the sailboat.

The technology utilises a wireless link that operates solely within the parameter of the sailboat. Due to the short operating range, it is not possible to distribute data from outside the sailboat to the sunglass receivers.

Pictures by the author

partho@thehindu.co.in

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