Here, Engineers Capture Fountain Turn at Long Beach Grand Prix Race Course in California

Scanning in the streets >> By Tom Greaves

Using a Leica HDS3000, iRacing engineers have scanned 44 race tracks for the company’s digital track inventory. Here, engineers capture Fountain Turn at Long Beach Grand Prix Race Course in California.

nyone who’s visited Fenway Park to see the The Key Drivers for Scanning Boston Red Sox knows that current principal As more firms seek to attract the best people–particularly young owner John Henry is among the world’s people–the best tools are a must. And the more 3D tools, the best in sports event marketing. The Red Sox better. High-fidelity 3D simulation environments are where Nation experience spans generations and 3D solutions–those technology solutions many surveyors are economic strata and reaches from eastern turning to–are headed. Additionally, situational awareness Maine to Tokyo. So what else does John Henry do for fun? attained from 3D models is a key to the safe operation on a He’s a simracer. He likes it so much that in 2004 he and Dave jobsite, whether it is a race track or a construction site. Kaemmer launched iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations LLC. In the transportation sector particularly, there is a long Kaemmer, a simulation video game programmer and creator record of innovation in safety and performance migrating from with a slew of titles to his name, has created an Internet-based the race track to the road. But will the physical world imitate simulated racing service for professionals who race in the the simulation? Of course, and that’s where design comes in. physical world and hobbyists who simultaneously race each Using a Leica HDS3000, iRacing engineers have scanned other over the Internet. The company aims to deliver many 44 race tracks for the company’s digital track inventory, of the benefits currently realized by Formula One teams with including super speedway ovals such as Daytona International proprietary, seven-figure simulation suites. In late August, it Speedway in Florida, Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, launched its much-anticipated subscription-based service allow- North Carolina, Atlanta Motor Speedway in Georgia, and ing virtually anyone anywhere in the world with an up-to-date Richmond International Raceway in Virginia. Also included PC, high-speed Internet access and a set of automotive-style are short-oval tracks such as Martinsville Speedway and wheel-and-pedal controls to race in real-time, online competi- the South Boston Speedway in Virginia, Toyota Speedway tion. The simulation environment of iRacing.com offers rich in Irwindale, California, and Stafford Motor Speedway in opportunities for embedded product placement and linkages. Connecticut, as well as a selection of road circuits ranging How does this sector of the entertainment world relate to from Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, Road America surveyors? Plenty. To read how, buckle up and read on. in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • December • Copyright 2008 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com Image courtesy iRacing.com Image Laser scan of the Fountain Turn at Long Beach Grand Prix Race Course in Salinas, California, Summit Point Why scan? According to CEO model to simulate vehicle dynamics. Motorsports Park in West Virginia, Kaemmer, it’s the only way to get the Kaemmer and Ian Berwick, who Virginia International Raceway in accuracy and level of detail required–the heads iRacing’s race car engineering Alton, Virginia, and Lime Rock Park same reason many surveyors turn to the department, collected data for the in Connecticut. All told, the company technology. Using only GPS, video and model by testing real racing tires on a has licensed more than 60 tracks in the satellite information is inadequate. The 75,000-pound test rig at the Calspan United States and Europe, including all true nature of a race track is revealed Tire Research Facility in Buffalo, New but two of the tracks where NASCAR’s in the bumps, minor camber changes York. According to Kaemmer, “Race-tire Sprint Cup competes. and other subtle details, says Kaemmer, technology remains something of a black They’ve also modeled (and scanned in who won nearly 20 races in the Skip art–no matter how accurately the track some cases) eight race vehicles. Among Barber Racing Series during a multi-year and the car are represented, the simula- them are a street-legal road-racing competition career and who once held tion experience won’t be ‘right’ unless Pontiac Solstice, a Skip Barber SB2000 the Lime Rock Park lap record for the the tire model is accurate. Our goal is to racing school single-seater, a 1,650- series. “To really learn a race track,” go beyond curve-fitting to a model that is pound, 800-horsepower, open-wheel Kaemmer says, “a driver needs a very actually predictive.” Silver Crown oval-track racer, and a accurate ‘sight picture’ from the cockpit. To be useful as a simulation tool for vintage Formula One championship- Laser scanning, which provides millime- racers preparing for a race on a physical winning Lotus 79. ter precision, is the key to providing that. track requires both detail and accuracy. The point cloud from the laser scan is the Drivers take their braking cues, for skeleton for a representation of the track example, from fine track markings or that has stunning verisimilitude.” objects beside the track. They have to Simracers Succeed Using Leica’s Cyclone software, be in the right place in the driver’s field Ryan Dalziel and Henri Zogaib iRacing engineers register scan data and of view. According to the company, its drove their SAMAX BMW Riley export it to proprietary tools for process- beta users report that using the system is Daytona Prototype to victory at ing. To get real-time performance–this equivalent to getting the first practice set the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is racing after all–the track builder completed. following hours spent with the loads and unloads local model data into As track time can cost up to $30,000 iRacing simulator. Zogaib had memory based on the distance to the per hour, simulation economics make neither driven nor visited the track vehicle. iRacing’s software also organizes sense, too. Not only is track time expen- prior to the race except virtually racers according to their experience and sive, supply is scarce on race weekends. and had just six physical laps of safety record. Time spent on familiarizing drivers with the challenging circuit under his iRacing’s core technology also includes the track is time that’s not available for belt before the qualifying event. a physics engine with a proprietary tire fine-tuning the car for the race.

An Entrepreneurial former vice president and general manager enthusiastic champions of the sport Business Model at Lime Rock Park, community and eye- coming back to the track–virtually! The business model for iRacing is every ball potential are important, particularly bit as intriguing as the company’s use when it comes to getting sponsorship and Tom Greaves is CEO and co-founder of technology. The company has non- broadcasting revenues. For tracks that host of Spar Point Research in Danvers, exclusive agreements with International top-tier racing series, such as NASCAR, Massachusetts. He has more than Speedway Corporation and Speedway sponsorship and broadcasting revenues 20 years’ experience in engineering, Motorsports, Inc., which own all but two exceed ticket sales at the track by a wide product development, and business of the NASCAR tracks. iRacing owns margin. Of course, the up-front investment research and analysis. the digital models. What’s in it for the for the simulation is borne entirely by track owner? According to Steve Potter, iRacing, not by the track owner. iRacing Author Note: A few weeks after I wrote iRacing’s director of communications and has found a new way to keep the most this story, Bruce Hall, president of Velodyne LIDAR, and I paid a visit to iRacing’s headquarters to experience the system firsthand. After a few warm-up laps, Bruce and I raced each other around Lime Rock for eight laps in entry-level Pontiac Solstices. What a blast! After 30 minutes (which seemed more like three seconds or three hours) my head was spinning. The realism of the track, the car and the response is truly astonishing. An earlier version of this story appeared in the SparView newsletter, Vol. 6, No. 10. If you’d like to learn more about how laser scanning and other 3D imaging technologies are changing the rules of engineering, construction and surveying, iRacing has modeled eight race vehicles for its ultimate race simulation experience, attend SPAR 2009 (March 30 – April 1) including a street-legal road-racing Pontiac Solstice. at the Hyatt Regency Denver.