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Honda deploys IBM Watson to F1 cars

Admire Moyo
By Admire Moyo, ITWeb's news editor.
Johannesburg, 22 Mar 2016
Honda's F1 racing vehicles are now able to recover or save energy to use later during the race for more power.
Honda's F1 racing vehicles are now able to recover or save energy to use later during the race for more power.

Honda is using IBM's supercomputer Watson to monitor and analyse data from more than 160 sensors on its Formula One (F1) cars.

Using IBM Watson Internet of things (IOT) technology, drivers and crews can apply data and analytics in real-time to help streamline performance and improve fuel-efficiency, enabling drivers to make real-time racing decisions based on this data, such as speed adjustments and pit stops.

After a race, engineers would pull data, including timing and fuel flow, from the vehicle to adjust racing strategies for the next race.

F1 has evolved over the years; the sport is now highly data-driven with drivers always being connected. Now, racing teams can analyse fast streaming vehicle and driver data to adjust racing strategies in real-time, including ways to conserve fuel - all critical factors that can help to win the race.

In 2014, the F'ed'eration Internationale de l'Automobile, which governs F1 racing, published new regulations that required all F1 cars to use hybrid engines and limited fuel consumption during races, driving the sport to focus on developing more energy-efficient automotive technologies.

To help mark its return to F1 racing and reach new milestones in efficiency for both race cars and future consumer models, Honda R&D developed a new system to analyse data from hybrid engines, known as power units, to quickly and efficiently check residual fuel levels and estimate the possibility of mechanical problems.

Honda is using the IBM IOT for Automotive solution, based on IBM Watson IOT technology, to deliver data generated from cars, including temperature, pressure and power levels, directly to the cloud for real-time analysis.

"Honda R&D is thrilled to work with IBM to mark its return to F1 racing, applying advanced IOT technologies to help ensure our drivers and teams are constantly connected," says Satoru Nada, chief engineer and manager, Power Unit Development Division, Honda R&D. "We are bringing excitement to fans worldwide around the performance of our vehicles and drivers, with the power of data and real-time analytics becoming a critical factor in winning races."

Honda's F1 racing vehicles are now also able to recover or save energy to use later during the race for more power. For example, any time the driver uses the brakes, the heat given off from friction can be captured and saved to the battery, similar to the hybrid vehicles Honda sells to consumers. Or, the system will capture heat from the exhaust and save it as more energy in the battery as well. Then, the system can give the driver more power when he needs it, such as when passing another racer.

As a race is taking place, data is streamed to the cloud and shared with the pit crew teams equipped with tablets and mobile technology. The data is analysed in real-time by researchers at HRD Sakura, Honda's R&D facility in Japan and the McLaren Honda F1 team in the UK.

Transmitting this analysis using IBM Streams, implemented by IBM Global Business Services, as the race is taking place, allows for adjustments to basic metrics such as temperature, pressure and power levels that help improve the vehicle's performance. Additionally, the Honda research team can now build very complex performance models to measure energy recovery of the power unit to ensure its longevity.

"With the rapid growth of the Internet of things, by 2025, every car will be connected in some way, exuding vast amounts of streaming data ranging from traffic updates to health of the vehicle, operations and more," says Harriet Green, general manager, Watson IOT, Commerce & Education, IBM.

"We are excited to team with Honda to provide sophisticated cognitive IOT capabilities and analytics to combine data directly from the F1 racing vehicles with other sources, allowing Honda to not only enhance its vehicles that are built for speed, but to also be more friendly to our environment."

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