FIA IMPACT DATA RECORDER (IDR)
As an Aim Technologies Group brand, Impact Detect partnered with the Safety Department at the FIA to create an Impact Data Recorder (IDR) with key objective being improving safety in motorsport.
THE REQUIREMENT
The FIA Safety Department were tasked with gathering and understanding data from incidents and impacts in motorsport with a view to use this data to improve safety, reducing the risk of injuries and fatalities in motorsport.
Existing accident data recorders available in the sport were high cost to the competitor and required fitting and maintaining, the result was that these were being used in elite level motorsport.
The FIA needed a solution that was not only low cost, but easy to fit and maintain too, making it accessible to competitors at all levels of motorsport. The FIA had collected global data that showed that 99 per cent of fatal accidents occur in amateur level motor sport and no impact data was being gathered from these incidents.
THE SOLUTION
We developed the IDR to allow mass real world crash data to be collected, giving insight into crash sequences. Through the ongoing review of impact data, the FIA will be also be able to identify specific accident trends and potential safety hazards.
During the conception of IDR, it was imperative for the FIA Safety Department to develop a product that easily recorded incident data for analysis, in addition to it being affordable for every competitor and easily installed without technical support.
THE OUTCOME
The outcome of the FIA Impact Data Recorder (IDR) is a small and lightweight device; weighing just 12 grams and being only 6cm in length. The IDR’s encasement is made from a smart polymer, called RHEON, which has unique mechanical filtering properties and is flexible enough for mounting on curved surfaces. Roll out of the devices to global motorsport will commence in 2022.
The IDR has a two year battery life and is capable of recording over 80 impacts in it’s two year life span. The result of this is that the IDR can be simply affixed within a competitors vehicle, with no maintenance or wiring required.
The FIA IDR app and database have been created to allow impact reports to be submitted. This involves downloading the impact from the IDR via the app, then completing a report of the incident within the app, including image uploads and GPS location recording. Impact reporting and review will allow the FIA to identify specific accident trends and potential safety hazards.
