Driving Technology
I’m sure that when schools in the distant future study the early 21st Century as part of their history lessons, the one thing that will stand out to define this period of time will be the development of technology that has occurred. We’re now becoming a world full of gadgets, apps and connectivity, and scarcely a week goes by without some new product being launched.
Each new item allows us to do something quicker, cheaper or easier than in the past. The advent of smart phones has really highlighted just how much a small black box in your pocket can do – and how much one object can change not only our lives, but also our habits too.
It’s also very true that RC racing has benefitted from these developments too. In the most obvious ways, electric racing has seen the rapid development of brushless motor technology, providing power units that are more efficient and faster than anything we ever used in the brushed motor days. Similarly, electronic speed controllers now have a huge range of adjustments, but also the ability to log data and provide readouts on RPMs, temperature and so on. Lithium Polymer batteries have a greater capacity and lower weight than our previous nickel-based cells.
In all classes, improved computing power has led to better car designs, as manufacturers are now able to design and test parts quicker and more accurately in the virtual world, before manufacturing any prototype parts and testing them in the real world. Manufacturing processes have been improved, with more accurate machines producing parts quicker (and therefore cheaper!) than before. I remember reading one of Xray’s columns, where they explained how, thanks to this combination of technologies, they can design a part in the morning, have it manufactured, and be testing it on the track in the afternoon! Compared to just a few years ago, where every step of that process would have taken days rather than hours just highlights how far things have come!
But I think the single biggest advancement in technology – that has benefitted both our daily lives and the RC community – has been the expansion of the internet. I mean, for a start, without it, you wouldn’t be sitting there reading this article. Race coverage has improved dramatically, communities and conversations can now exist on-line throughout the year, rather than just on a Sunday when everyone meets at a track to race. News about products reaches people faster than ever and, thanks as well to social media as I’ve discussed in previous columns, we can keep right up to date with what our favourite driver is even doing on his days away from the race track!
Who knows where the development of technology will take us next. But whatever happens, it is likely to be beneficial to our hobby and help to move our sport forward.
Have an opinion on the topics discussed? Leave them in the comments below.
Oli Meggitt is a race organiser, announcer, RC racer and has also been known to stand and talk in front of a camera. Now a columnist for Red RC you can read his thoughts, insights and ramblings fortnightly.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author.
