This thesis presents the design and simulation of a portable system for lap timing and segment ranking in a Formula Student race car. The motivation stems from the team’s need for a solution that improves performance during testing and enhances results in competitions. Permanent timing infrastructure is often unavailable during testing, while in competitions teams are prohibited from using the organizer’s transponder system, even if the transponders are already installed in the car.
The solution is based on GNSS with RTK corrections, which provides both accuracy and portability. High accuracy is ensured through RTK corrections, while portability is achieved by requiring only the installation of an Xsens MTi-680 module in the car.
The software is implemented in Python, with the data flow managed through queues. The input queue carries position data together with timestamps. The output queue of the first program, which handles laps, provides the lap number and duration. The output queue of the second program provides the segment ranking, the current lap number, and the current segment index. In both programs, the Shapely library plays a key role, as it enables checking whether the vehicle is inside a defined area and detecting when the path between consecutive points crosses a line.
The system was evaluated by simulating a race that included laps with varying speeds, accelerations, braking, and pit entries and exits. Compatibility with the Xsens module was verified by calculating the maximum expected error under our conditions and by simulating noise at the finish line.
|
