Cosworth Using Vast Racing Expertise For Self-Driving Technology

When it comes to engines, few names have been linked so closed to racing as Cosworth. As it turns out, Cosworth in the year 2018 is about much more than engines and is using its racing expertise to develop advanced self-driving systems.

Forming the basis of Cosworth’s autonomous suite is its AliveDrive technology. The company has developed all of the electronics for this system, including a technology that analyzes and processes video and visual images of how a vehicle and its driver are performing.

“We are taking our visual image processing from AliveDrive technology, and we’re going to add a radar input and a lidar input, and that will be the platform for what is called a ‘perception module’,” Cosworth chief executive Hal Reisiger told Automotive News Europe.

“It’s actually a natural sequence for us, because we can leverage past and current technologies. It’s not that far of a stretch for us.”

Cosworth is already using its expertise in electronics for the IndyCar championship. Reisiger says the company has 100 per cent real-time data acquisition encrypting and analysis for the full pack of Indy racers and will make the most of this ability by working with car manufacturers to “help them understand what is the important and beneficial data to analyze.”

It’s possible that Cosworth’s presence in motorsport could grow in the near future. Reisiger revealed to Auto News that the company is in the midst of discussions with Formula E, potentially about how it could handle data acquisition and analysis for the rapidly-growing sport. At the same time, Cosworth is pondering going public in 2019.