In recent years, cloud computing and machine learning have been a focal point of discussion when talking about future directions of many different industries. The use of big data has the potential to revolutionise many different fields, yet there is one industry, which has not been given much attention, that started integrating these practices resulting in an immense leap forward: the racing industry, more specifically Formula 1 (F1).
In 2018, F1 partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to redesign the sport by making use of all the data generated by the cars to improve both the fan experience as well as the car development. Just to give an idea of the potential these technological advancements have on F1, it is estamated that a modern F1 car contains on average 120 sensors generating approximately 1.1 million points of data telemetry per second.
In terms of improved fan experience, F1 is now able to provide real-time insights on races such as ‘battle forecasts’, ‘pit stop strategies’, and ‘tyre performance’ based on the wide range of available data such as weather, tyre compounds, timing, car position, telemetry, etc. Not only they are able to analyse strategies and predict battle outcomes, F1 is now able to analyse and display the driver’s performance and effort based on the 65 plus years of historical data available. In turn, the data can be used by the drivers themselves to compare their performance to the ones of their competitors in order to improve. Lastly, machine learning has re-defined the way in which teams develop new parts of their cars, leading them to more accurate and reliable results.
All in all, I think that adopting of machine learning and cloud-based computing in areas, such as the racing world, re-enforces their potential. F1 has been known to be an old-fashioned sport, yet, now with the adoption of these new practices it has been able to revolutionise itself into a technology-driven environment. This could serve as a lesson and starting point for many other sports as well as industries to start adopting these tools in order to improve or even disrupt their current state. I am sure those improvements are the first of many and it will be really exciting to see what the next additions will be.
References:
- https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-selects-aws-as-official-cloud-and-machine-learning-provider.3thFUei8926UA28csUs0EQ.html
- https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/formula-one/
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-formula-1-works-aws-develop-next-generation-race-car-poovadan
- https://aidaily.co.uk/articles/f1aws
Thanks for this very interesting read. I am amazed how applying cloud computing in various industries keeps improving the outcome and increase the productivity. Nevertheless, the way cloud computing is used in this old-fashioned sport seems to amaze me. It is of course a given that an industry filled with so much funds has to keep improving, both on the amusement side as well as on the productivity side. Therefore, applying the sensors and analysizing the data to do just that, is amazing. I am wondering where this will take this sport over 5 or 10 years. Not only do i wonder that, but how is it affecting other sports? Are we going to see this back in the old-gentleman sport, football? This read really has me start wondering all the various possibilities for applying clo9ud computing and ML in the sporting industry.
This piece presents some really interesting insights into how modern technology is now not only being used to benefit organizations and athletes in the world of sports but also fans and how they view and interact with the sport. F1 is a really interesting case study as it is primed to be improved by adopting new technologies such as machine learning as they already embrace the use of sensors and data collection. I know from being a fan that other sports organizations and broadcasters are attempting to use cloud computing to improve their fan experience, for example Microsoft Azure to deliver a new direct-to-consumer platform that uses Azure artificial intelligence and analytics to tailor experiences to individuals’ preferences. While I personally think other sports, such as basketball, which are new to integrating modern technology will have a harder time successfully using cloud computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence compared to F1, it is an exciting time for fans as we could be able to consume and interact with sporting events in new personalized ways and feel closer than ever to our favorite teams and athletes.
Thanks for this interesting read! I think that there is a sweet balance between the usage of data and the specific application. Ofcourse in business related decisions, data is usefull to make any decisions. However, one could argue that to much data in entertainment and sports could ruin the fun.
A famous example is the movie Moneyball where a statisticus is used to compile the perfect team together which eliminates feelings and intuition from the game. As a newbie F1 watcher the provided statistics makes it easier to understand, however the more you watch it the less joy you get from the statitics. I am curious what your opinion is of integration in the sport and whether there must be a data limit to keep the entertaining factor.