DrivesTV brings us a new video of the BMW autonomous Track Trainer 330i doing some laps at Laguna Seca. The BMW Track Trainer is designed specifically to help drivers develop advanced track driving skills by being shown the correct way around the track with correct lines, braking points and turn in.
It features three modes, the first being autonomous, where the car controls the driving, the second uses sequences of lights to show the correct turning points and the third records the driver’s inputs and allows them to be replayed later for analysis and coaching with a professional driver.
The autonomous car is built on the standard production of the 330i model, but the software underlying the vehicle is quite special. Utilizing a combination of built-in GPS, a signal booster and accompanying repeater (increasing bandwidth and accuracy down to the centimeter), a custom map of the track and a trained driver to show it the optimum racing line, the Track Trainer learns the course and can show budding racers how to do it right.
The software is made out of complex algorithm to determine theoretical grip, while wheel speed and spin sensors send data to the computers to interpret the exact amount of suspension load, power delivery and braking force necessary to keep it out of the weeds. A driver feedback display mounted on the center console shows drivers how close the car is to the optimal line while in control.
It its lifetime, the 330i Track Trainer has already accumulated 12,000 miles of testing.
