It’s not quite the same, but what I’d like is an app that allows all the mechanics in the team to enter what the setup was for each session, that automatically uploads to a server that I can then access in the back of the truck when i’m doing data.
Apps that record the setup exist, but I want something that can then send it somewhere i can access all of them. Back in my UK days when i was mechanic at UK races and Euro’s I ended up with a binder stacked full of set up sheets, hard to maintain and even harder to search. It should be in the cloud by now.
Too complicated. It needs to be usable by mechanics, parents and drivers.
I’d want them to be able to select the setup (aka Karting Tool) but with a login using a team login and password. When they click save it is automatically uploaded to the cloud where the team data guy can look at it, preferably outputted into a spreadsheet of some kind so its easier to read.
I waste a lot of time finding out what people changed between sessions.
Honestly, I’d respectfully disagree, if they are using a template. If filling in cells or filling out a document is too complicated, then those people have problems with general typing.
Not to say that an app wouldn’t be interesting, but an editable .doc template or spreadsheet template would be easy to modify, if you have the easiest idea of how a computer works. You’re doing the same thing whether you’re filling in application fields or document fields, effectively.
But most of the setup input will be done via a smartphone. Using a spreadsheet is a little finicky using a smartphone. I want this to be easy to use and quick to do, or they just won’t do it.
I’d see your point, but with the number of laptops and portable devices in the current era, if someone can’t bring an Acer laptop with them to make their life easier, then they should just stick to pen and paper. Smartphones aren’t always the answer, personally.
Personally, I think that the biggest issue is getting people to adopt the behavior to be taking notes in the first place, first.
Well, I think these kind of sheets are a good basis for building the wireframe of an app around…
You could use google forms to populate that a sheet. Then if you wanted, use the sheets API to write to a database. Problem is that the UI of google forms is very limited and is not built to retrieve data. Of course you can plug in tonnes of other APIs too.
Davin and I have had a conversation about a “tuning dashboard” of sorts that displays video, environmental parameters (track temp, air density), setup details and data channels at once from sessions. Building that would be a fun challenge. The guys at ASL might be a good group to tap into for it sometime in the future.
@NikG I’d love to build an app for setup(s) that’s integrated like you say. Cloud based with native apps, locally cached database and web-interface. Find people that will pay for it and I’ll build a prototype for people to test.
Maybe building it based around a per-team licences, rather than individuals (at first) would be the best way to start, since the pain point you mentioned is that there is no central review point for the data person to review.
Real estate on smartphone and even phablets is definitely at a premium. So the UI on there would need to be very, very lean. I think I’d recommend a tablet at the minimum, they are so cheap to pickup new, let alone used that there’s no excuse not to use one.
I remember the rotax jetting guys seemed to have a good windows application for storing setups, but the licencing setup was cumbersome, and it’ didnt sync.
Good idea on separating this into a separate topic thread. I think a kart tuning app would be a good idea, but it would be a strong next step after having a good default setup template of what information is most useful to record in the first place.
Also I’d urge to consider what the actual user stories are when considering this application. Personally, I think that a way to organize my tuning sheets, so I could find them quickly. would be more useful than comparing data. (Unless I could easily see ‘For the last ten times that I’ve visited this track, my gear ratio has been X, or my alignment settings are A,B,C,’)
I’d love to see someone mock up a UI wireframe on what such an app might look like. (Working as a business analyst in the app development space as my day job, my brain flicks to what the features and user stories would like in an application like this, which is why I always push back a bit when someone proposes a general ‘app is the answer’. )
I’d like to see a feature that tells you what your setup was before dependent on temperature and whether the track is tighter and more technical to longer and more wide open, even at a scale of 1-3, if not track specific.
Ignoring the team aspect for a second as that market is very limited, as an individual it would be the ability to search and organise the setups that would be the main driver (no pun intended).
So I would want to be able to search by track, driver, tire age, lap time, ambient temperature. You want to be able to look at a time you were there a previous year and see what you did to go faster that time.
Anyway Apps exist that record setup (Karting Tools, Kart Chassis Setup for racing) but they are limited to me because the data is stuck in the App, if i can export it to excel or matlab I can manipulate it a lot more then an App usually allows. Ideally I want an array that stores setup and data file with some data highlights (fastest lap time, min/max rpm) easily viewable.
Like we chatted about in another thread, the user scenarios for an application like this might be useful for an individual, but just not scalable/too niche enough to really create value for the work involved in creating it. I can look up my notes in Google Sheets from my phone, and have a good folder structure to keep them separated by track.
Besides, I’m normally just looking for the gear ratio, and alignment whether it was wet or dry. (I’ve always been a fan of ‘Define a better process first, then think if an app is required.’ from my day job work doing this.
But that being said, there is never any harm in brainstorming. Sometimes other ideas come from it.
Joey Wimsett? Have him chime in here and share his sheets?
There’s a few ways to look at this. While the app itself may not turn a profit, it could also be used as a value add to another charged for product\service as a kind of “engineering as marketing”.
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But that being said, there is never any harm in brainstorming. Sometimes other ideas come from it.
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I think a team subscription service might work. But now I’ve started thinking about it (and for thinking counts as working in my profession) I can’t talk about it too much lol.
Joey does the PitKits. Fabien Michon makes the app.
For something like perpetual energy, I can understand that. But in a niche as small as auto racing, let alone karting I wouldn’t be overly worried about putting your ideas out there. That’s how ideas improve, get closer to customer’s needs and ultimately become a success.
I see folks patent things for karting and I can’t help but think what a waste of time and money it is. The cost to actually enforce a patent successfully makes it not worth the 6+ grand to even get one started.
You’re doing the same thing whether you’re filling in application fields or document fields, effectively.
