Destroying world records with the TUG Racing team and Marple

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To achieve this, the team needed a powerful data analysis platform, and that’s where Marple came in. Max Ritzer from TUG Racing’s Data Acquisition Module shared how Marple has become an essential part of their journey. From lap time simulations in the fall to performing on-track tests in the spring, Marple helped the team in transforming massive amounts of data into actionable insights.

Take a look at the overview video we made together with the team.

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The Skidpad World Record

During the 2024 Formula Student East competitions, TUG Racing broke the skidpad world record with a whopping 4.135 seconds! Just a few weeks before, they already broke the world record at Formula Student Austria with a time of 4.355 seconds, meaning they managed to improve with over 2 tenths of a second. It just goes to show how quick the TUG Racing car is.

How quick is a 4.136s skidpad? Have a look for yourself in this video:
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Part of the reason why they managed to break the world record is the fact that the engineers of TUG Racing have a data driven approach when it comes to the design of the car as well as the testing and fine-tuning of it. We have the privilege to share some top level data of this magical skidpad in this blogpost. The data can be found here (see link): FSE Skidpad World Record

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The data is also displayed in an interactive view below (note that the view can be expanded).

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Having a look at the data, you can identify 2 skidpads. This is common to do at a Formula Student competition, to immediately do two skidpads after each other. A skidpad is first 2 laps to the right, followed by 2 laps to the left. You can clearly see this in the lateral acceleration signal as well as in the GPS trace (see link): GPS Trace Signal

The data that can be seen includes:

• Throttle pedal (DCM_APPS_Throttle_0)
• Brake pedal (DCM_Brake_Recu)
• Steering angle (DCM_SteeringAngle)
• Active Aero Power (PG_Power)
• Lateral Acceleration (Gyro_Mov_Acc_Y)
• A 250ms moving average of lateral acceleration (ACCY_250msAVG)
• Velocity (Velocity (km\h)

What makes this skidpad so impressive, is that the car reaches up to 2G in the skidpad. With speeds around 45-50 km/h, you need extreme downforce levels in order to achieve this lateral acceleration. In fact, the team uses powered ground effect to obtain high downforce even on slow speeds.
The driver has a relatively constant steering angle, and chooses to modulate using the throttle pedal. You can also see the driver accelerating at the exit of the skidpad.

The team also provided a GG diagram of the skidpad run. This can be seen here (see link): Data GG Diagram

The GG diagram sows the relation between lateral and longitudinal acceleration, giving an indication on how the car is using its grip. In the skidpad event, it’s all about lateral acceleration, which can clearly be seen in the scatter plot.

Data flow at TUG Racing

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1. Data Collection from the Car’s Sensors: During simulations or on-track tests, TUG Racing’s car collects large amounts of data from its sensors.
   • Integration with InfluxDB and Real-Time Data Streaming: As new sensor data is collected during live tests, it streams directly into Marple through InfluxDB for immediate analysis.
   • Uploading MDF/MF4 Files to Marple: The collected data is stored in MDF (MF4) files and then uploaded to Marple for further processing.
2. Data Structuring and Organization: Once the files are uploaded or the InfluxDB connection is active, Marple’s Data Engine automatically processes and organises the data by specific parameters, allowing engineers to find the exact information they need without manual effort.
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3. Analysis, Data Sharing, and Collaboration: With the data structured and ready, engineers can annotate key data points, share insights with the team, and make data driven decisions. Marple's cloud-based setup enables team members to access the latest data and collaborate in real time from anywhere.

Benefits of using Marple

After our conversation with Max, it became clear how important Marple is to TUG Racing’s success.Here are some examples of how Marple has refined the team’s approach to data analysis and performance:

• Real-time data analysis: Allows engineers to make quick, data driven decisions during on-track tests and competitions.
• Centralised data storage and detailed log file analysis: Provided by a cloud-based solution for storing log files, it enables the team to access data, identify, and solve issues from anywhere in the world without the need for a special license.
• Efficient workflow: Reduces downtime by quickly analysing sensor information and setup parameters. It is used in various stages of the car development cycle, from lap time simulations to live data streaming on-track, improving the entire process.
• User-friendly interface: Simplifies the data analysis approach, making it accessible even to team members with different technical skills, thus boosting overall productivity and engagement.
• And, in his own words, Marple is “simply amazing.”

Conclusion

As the person responsible for transferring data from the car to the engineers, Max needed a tool that made data analysis fast, collaborative, and easily accessible.

"We chose Marple because it allows us to store all our log files in the cloud and share them with our team members instantly" said Max.

This flexibility has transformed how the team collaborates, allowing engineers to focus on what they do best—innovate and win.

As TUG Racing gears up for another season here at Marple, we’re excited to see what they will achieve next as they push the boundaries of data-driven innovation in motorsport even further, with Marple by their side.

Interested in learning how Marple can power your team’s success? Get in touch with us today! 🚀