Ferrari is one of those automakers that you could never see coming out with an autonomous car. But that doesn’t mean the iconic Italian brand isn’t interested in bringing new tech to its Ferrari Challenge.
At the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, Ferrari North America announced plans to enter into a three-year partnership with Intel. The collaboration between the two companies will see Ferrari implement Intel’s artificial intelligence (AI) and drone technology into its racing series for two major reasons: to improve the viewing experience for fans and to help drivers polish their racing skills.
The drones, apparently, would record data on every driver during the race, which would then be relayed back to the teams and broadcasters. The teams could give their drivers helpful information on how to put down a quicker lap. Broadcasters, on the other hand, could use the data to create more nail-biting narrative.
Being able to see a Ferrari Challenge race from a drone’s perspective sounds like a nifty idea, but the data the machines obtain could also be shared with viewers, making fans feel like they’re really at the race.
For those not familiar with Ferrari Challenge, it’s a customer racing series for Ferrari 488 owners. The vehicles that race in the series have been upgraded to put down some fast laps. Running a car in the series isn’t exactly cheap, resulting in wealthy, inexperienced racers piloting the machines, which means there’s plenty of mayhem.
Ferrari Challenge will begin to use the intelligent drones for the 2018 season, which is set to commence on January 25 at Daytona Beach, Fla.
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