General Motors wants to take driver reaction time out of drag racing
General Motors has patented an automatic launch system that monitors drag racing start lights and launches the car without driver input. Cameras recognise the light signals, software predicts when the green light will come on, and electronics control the brakes and engine torque. The technology could make drag racing more precise, but raises the question of how much should be left to the driver in racing at all.
The car predicts when the green light will come on
The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted General Motors patent US 12,780,203, which describes an automatic launch system synchronised with drag-racing starting lights.
Unlike conventional launch control, the system does not require the driver to release the brake pedal at the right moment. The car's cameras monitor the starting lights, while software compares their sequence with stored patterns and calculates the appropriate launch time.
The system recognises two common starting sequences. With a Pro Tree, three amber lights come on simultaneously, followed by green 0.4 seconds later. A Sportsman Tree uses sequential amber lights, with 0.5 seconds between them.
GM's system also accounts for the delay between a control command and the car actually beginning to move. This allows the electronics to prepare the launch before the green light comes on, reducing time lost to reaction time.
Launch control gets an entirely new role
Launch control systems in modern sports cars already optimise engine torque, wheel slip and powertrain operation.
GM goes a step further. The driver activates the system, but the car can then maintain brake pressure and the required torque itself, and release the brakes at the calculated moment.
The patent also describes the use of an interior camera to monitor the driver's attention.
The system does not increase engine power or improve tyre grip. Its main advantage is launch repeatability, as software does not get tired or respond to a light signal at different speeds on different attempts.
Does an automatic launch undermine the point of racing?
A hundredth of a second can decide a drag race. That is why the driver's reaction time has been just as important as the car's power or traction.
GM's technology could make amateur racers' results more consistent, but its use in official competition would depend on the particular racing class and technical regulations.
In Europe, drag racing is governed by FIA requirements, among other regulations. Whether an automatic launch system is permitted would need to be assessed against the rules of the relevant class, as a patent does not in itself grant permission to use the system in competition.
GM's invention shows how electronics are taking over more and more of the driver's tasks in sports cars. Whereas launch control has so far helped drivers get off the line as quickly as possible, the new system also decides when to launch.
General Motors has not confirmed whether the technology will be offered on a Chevrolet Corvette or another sports model. For now, it is a patent, not a production-ready option.
