KeriBlog

Cars, Security & a Peek into my Life

Put a Monk in a Race Car

Can’t concentrate? Can’t race.

Because really, all the tech, tires and money are for not if the driver drops their focus for one fast moment. Because that moment turns into seconds lost.

I’m speaking with Honda IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe. He’d just coached me around the DDT at Mosport (watch here)

We talk about his mind while racing, how he stays hyper-focused for 2 straight hours. It’s an almost-meditative state, he says.

That’s why my idea to put a monk in a race car –
their concentration is outstanding.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

If winning comes down to a driver’s level of concentration, how about putting a monk behind the wheel?  Trophies ahoy!

 

Thanks for taking the time James! Best of luck this season.

Watch James coach me around my first track time here.

How he fared in this years Toronto Indy here.

Blog tag = the Mind (13)

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Features I Wish Were Mandatory

I drive a different car every week, and been keeping a list of features I’d like to see in more vehicles.

This is that list.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

Not all features need to be high tech. How about a proper dead pedal, and a handle on the inside of the trunk lid?

That’s my big items, what did I miss? Add yours to the list at Autonet.

Had help composing this list… Dan, Michael and Brian, thanks guys!

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How Ford Tests its F150 (& uses Men from Craigslist)

From inside the factory – how Ford tests its F150 pickup truck before putting it into final production.

From the robots to the dynos, actually Ford’s toughest test involves men it hired off Craigslist – the ‘Big Man Test’.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

One of the toughest tests Ford has created doesn’t involve robots, or any tech at all. Instead they used 6’7″ 300 lbs men they hired from Craigslist, and called it the “Big Man Test”.

Fun fact: Ford’s PR team said this is the first time the ‘Big Man Test’ story has ever been published in Canada.

YES to my story finding skills.

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From when I travelled with Ford to their proving grounds and factory last week.

Torque test.

Seat test for rattles.

That’s Mark, a 165 lb fake-human.

The tests run 24/7 for days.

There are robots everywhere.

This robot tests the fabric wear on the seats.

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Car Rallies are Won with the Mind

Read it online at Autonet.

Sometimes a rally isn’t just speed-based, it’s a thinking race, where teams compete for points.

Favourite line:

A trick I learned that you can use too: the word “right” has two meanings, “do I turn left here?” Instead of responding with “right”, say “check.”

Above is Keith Townsend, the gentleman in the article, and co-owner of  Vehicle Dynamics Group, the company behind the Mazda Adventure Rally. He won the modern division of Targa’s Modern Division in 2006, and in 1996 placed 3rd in the Canada CRC Canadian Rally Championship.

Below is the co-owner, Jud Buchanan, who has 6 podium Targa finishes, and is the former lead instructor at the Porsche Advanced Driving School.

Both are great guys with big brains, and who you should hire to design your rally.

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Questions to Think about Autonomous Cars

When it comes to auntomous cars, I’d like to see these topics discussed more often, especially the algorithm one below.

Questions to ponder:

  • will parking spots become extinct?
  • what about securing something that is more computer than car? Protect the privacy of the vehicle’s whereabouts… or the car’s software from attack, because think that nightmare through.
  • will map-range anxiety replace spontaneous exploration and adventure?

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

Go get lost this coming weekend, while you still can.

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I had a paragraph in there, about the ethics of programming the crash-avoidance algorithm, but it got cut.

What I said:

In an imminent crash involving two vehicles, what are the ethics behind the crash-avoidance algorithm? Aim for the larger object? Now all SUV drivers feel targeted, because they are, so will their insurance increase then? What if it’s programmed to hit the car best known for safety? Volvo owners won’t be happy about that.

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Above Photo

That’s an Audi TTS.

Google gets a lot of press about their autonomous car, but back in 2010 Audi sent the roadster up a 14,000 foot mountain, “Pikes Peak”.

It was even able to register negative obstacles, as in, stuff that wasn’t there, like a cliff without a guard-rail.

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