rFpro

rFpro, originally rFactor Pro, is a driving simulation software used by racing teams and car manufacturers for advanced driver-assistance systems, self-driving cars and vehicle dynamics. rFactor Pro was created in 2007 as a project of a F1 racing team, using Image Space Incorporated's rFactor as a codebase.[1] It has since been used by more F1 racing teams, top road car OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and motorsport manufacturers.[2] It was originally developed for driver-in-the-Loop simulations,[3] but has since been used for autonomous vehicle training as well. It is not licensed to consumers.[4]

rFpro
rFpro logo
rFpro logo
Logo
DeveloperrFpro Limited
Release year2007
EngineisiMotor2

History

rFactor Pro was created in 2007 as a project of a F1 team, using the rFactor simulator as a codebase,[1] and has since been used by more F1 racing teams,[5][6] including Force India in 2009,[7] Ferrari in 2014[8][9] and Alfa Romeo in 2019.[10]

rFpro is developed by rFpro Limited, based in Wiltshire, UK.[2] In 2017 rFpro acquired Image Space Incorporated's ISIMotor gaming engine, including the gMotor graphics engine, which it had been licensing since 2007.[11] In 2019 rFpro was acquired by AB Dynamics.[10]

In 2020 rFpro partnered with cosin scientific software to enable FTire (Flexible Ring Tire Model) to run with rFpro.[12][13][14]

Features

rFpro features a 120 Hz graphics engine, a library of high definition laser scanned tracks and roads, and an infrastructure in which users can plug their in-house vehicle physics through a Simulink or a C/C++ interface.[15][1][16] Alternatively rFpro rigid multibody physics engine can be used, which samples suspension and drive-train at 800Hz.[17] rFpro includes a tool called TerrainServer, which can feed the LiDAR data with a 1cm resolution to a vehicle model running in realtime up to 5kHz.[3] The library of laser scanned tracks includes most of those used in the F1 championship.[18]

In switching to rFpro for its simulator software in 2014, the Ferrari F1 team cited the high fidelity of the reproduced track surface, with an accuracy better than 1mm in Z (height) and 1cm in X and Y (position), which represented a ten-fold improvement over their previous solution.[8] They also cited the ability to respond to dynamic inputs faster than the driver can detect.

See also

References

  1. rfpro.com/about/, archived on March 4th, 2021
  2. rFpro - Photo-realistic 3D environments with lidar-accurate road surfaces processed in real time, at mathworks.com
  3. Dempsey, M., Fish, G., & Beltran, J. G. D. (2015) High fidelity multibody vehicle dynamics models for driver-in-the-loop simulators, in Proceedings of the 11th International Modelica Conference, Versailles, France, September 21-23, 2015 (No. 118, pp. 273-280). Linköping University Electronic Press.
  4. Paul Jeffrey rFactor Pro, at racedepartment.com, Jul 4, 2017
  5. When Computer Games meet real world Racing, at racecar-engineering.com, April 5, 2011
  6. History of the Image Space Inc. Software Engine, at imagespaceinc.com
  7. Force India Joins Long List of rFactor Pro Clients, November 14, 2009
  8. Ferrari F1 Team switches to driving simulator software from rFpro, by Autocar Pro News Desk, 14 Oct 2014
  9. Hardware – rFactor Pro powered – 6 million dollar Ferrari F1 Simulator., Jan 18, 2012
  10. AB Dynamics acquires simulation software specialist rFpro, by Autocar Pro News Desk , 02 July 2019
  11. rFpro acquires market-leading graphics engine to accelerate innovation in driving simulation, by Autocar Pro News Desk, 13 Nov 2017
  12. NEW PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES STEP-CHANGE IMPROVEMENT IN VEHICLE SIMULATION AND TESTING, 29/01/2020, at rfpro.com
  13. FTire and FTire/link at mathworks.com
  14. FTire physical tire model to run with rFpro driving simulation software.
  15. Mathews, Albert (2010) Powertrain optimization of a series hybrid racer (thesis), McGill University
  16. Models, at rfactor-pro.com, archived on Feb 15th 2015
  17. Design, Develop, Drive rFactor-Pro. Brochure: 2008.
  18. rFactor Pro – Laser Scanning Heaven, at virtualr.net, July 15, 2011

Further reading

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