Analyzing the competition
Reverse engineering is no easy task and can complicate an engineer’s life in many ways. It can take hours to fully reverse engineer something, and then an engineer needs to study each individual piece to completely understand how something works. After that? The engineer must put back together with the entire thing and hope it works as it once did. The process is time-consuming, and many wonder about ways to speed up the process. Many engineers have come across 3D laser scanning, which provides many benefits for reverse engineers.
However, in race car driving and other competitions, 3D laser scanning is new. Many competitors have adopted this tool to actually dissect and analyze the cars of the competitors. Previously there were no rules on using 3D laser scanning. It worked so quickly and accurately that many people in charge of the competition were forced to face angry competitors. Sure, this tool works at lightning speed. However, was it fair to use to analyze someone else’s car? No, it was not.
There are now new rules set in place that ensures the teams cannot copy each other’s tools, equipment, or pieces from a 3D scan of their competitors. Any team components may not be copied. This ensures the cars are original, designed by a unique team with their own signature, and fair competition.
What are the rules
- No photos, scans will be combined with software, allowing them to analyze the components.
- There will be no use of 3D laser scanning.
- No one will be able to use a contact or non-contact surface scanning.
- Any technique that uses cloud points on a surface is rejected.
For any team willing to break these new rules, there could be massive fines and a result of being let go from the competition. This could mean no time on the track for a race car driving.
Can 3D laser scanning be used for good
Though many of these benefits engineers can get from using 3D laser scanning, many people were using it unfairly. Previously there had been no rules because the technology was so new. Now, many people have access to this equipment, allowing competitions to understand each other’s components unfairly.
Though it was misused in this one instance, many people use 3D laser scanning for good things. This technology has been used for many things outside of race car driving.
- Cops are using it to collect data on crime scenes.
- Forensic investigators can create virtual reality through 3D laser scanning for juries to walk into.
- Students can gather information to study later on.
- Architects can use this tool to create stable and unique buildings.
Many good things have come from this technology, but we are now seeing that rules may have to be set, so we keep things fair and just.
Final thoughts
3D laser scanning has totally transformed our world and allows us to gather data in unprecedented ways. We realize we need to set some boundaries in specific fields, and racing is one of them.