News JVTech Formula 1: here is the technology that will take immersion to a whole new level
Published on 01/31/2023 at 20:50
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Formula 1 will soon resume its rights! And this year, single-seater fans are likely to be amazed in front of their screens, thanks to a technology that has been tested for two seasons already.
Formula 1 is soon back in business with a nice surprise!
“Turn up the volume and go to the first corner”, in a few weeks, the cult phrase of Formula 1 commentator at Canal +, Julien Fébreau, will resonate again! Eh yes, on March 5, the queen of motorsport competition will make its comeback on the international circuit of Sakhir (Bahrain). Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, Alpine – with its two French drivers – and the other teams will soon all be together on the starting grid for a new championship which already promises to be thrilling!
The mini-camera is visible on the left of the image, at Cha’s right eye level.
And like every year, the world motor sport authorities are setting the stage to offer an ever more qualitative show! This year, and after two seasons of testing, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) will therefore officially require drivers to be equipped with a mini-camera in their helmet.. A technology that should further enhance the spectator experience and the quality of TV broadcasting, which was, that said, already very consistent with the helicopters, the cameras fixed on the single-seater or those housed in the vibrators.
Technology borrowed from smartphones is coming to F1
If you are a Formula 1 fan, you may have noticed that over the past two years, new cameras have been appearing on certain race weekends. These are quite special, sincethey are housed directly in the helmet of the pilots at eye level. The goal: to offer an ever crazier immersion to viewers and give them the opportunity to put themselves in the pilot’s eyes. For lovers of anecdotes, the first to have tried this new technology was Fernando Alonso during the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.
So that this technology can now be found in all helmets on each race weekend, the FIA has signed a contract with Racing Force Group. Thanks to them, there are therefore 20 cameras of 8mm (one per pilot) which will be implemented in foams, inside helmets. As is often the case, when an innovation like this makes its debut in F1, the camera must not represent any risk for the driver. Formula 1 fans know this; safety is one of the main concerns of the FIA.
At the moment, these cameras are only capable of films a Full HDeven if they are close to the photo lenses that can be found on some modern smartphones. Another downside: stabilization! Yes, Formula 1 is shaking – especially last year with the porpoising – and when you are immersed in the driver’s helmet, you realize it very quickly. Short, the arrival of this technology is a real plus for spectators and Formula 1even if it still needs to be improved, whether in terms of image quality or stability.
