track car performance with the iphone

[mohrt]

For those of you with iPhones (or iPod Touch), here's an super useful app. It keeps track of 0-60 Acceleration, 1/4 Mile Elapsed Time, Lateral G's, Horsepower and more, and all you have to do is set it on the dash. Cool It's a mere $12.99 USD from the app store.

http://dynolicious.com/

No, I'm not affiliated with them.

Edited by mohrt on Tuesday 29th July 17:52

[LuckyP]

Hmmmm......nice

[AMD87]

Noticed it shows max speed but would that only work from a non stop standing start or would it work round a track? say the main straight is 3 corners away and you have to brake for them would it still be able to register the max speed along that straight?

If it does ill be sorely tempted to go and get an iTouch tomorrow just for this

Edited by AMD87 on Tuesday 29th July 23:18

[mohrt]

From what I'm reading, it gets all of its data from the accelerometer (no GPS involved). Therefore, it gathers input from acceleration/deceleration and time, and from there determines velocity. Therefore, it makes me believe that it is very accurate with short lengths of straight-line speeds and times, but around a track it would not work well, if at all. You can zero the speed at any time to meter your lateral G's, but I doubt that helps much around a track.

I've been toying around with the idea of building an app similar to this, but also includes the GPS tracking so you can watch yourself go around any track from a satellite map.

Edited by mohrt on Tuesday 29th July 23:45

[AMD87]

mohrt said:

From what I'm reading, it gets all of its data from the accelerometer (no GPS involved). Therefore, it gathers input from acceleration/deceleration and time, and from there determines velocity. Therefore, it makes me believe that it is very accurate with short lengths of straight-line speeds and times, but around a track it would not work well, if at all. You can zero the speed at any time to meter your lateral G's, but I doubt that helps much around a track.

Yeah i was guessing that but one of the screenshots it shows the speed dropping at parts then rising again then dropping etc, and the topics ive seen on other forums people only take about straight line times (0-30,0-60 etc)

Anyone got it that can try it out?

Edited by AMD87 on Tuesday 29th July 23:56

[ezakimak]

from what i have been told by my software engineering budies, the apple software development kit (SDK) if readaly available. any squint can sit in his office and write code for these devices. you then send it directly to apple and they distribute the application for you via there web site, taking a small ammount of the profits.

ill see if i can get my hands on the SDK and work out what could be done with it, may even be able to build in some sound capture software and determine car speed based on engine harmonics, gear ratios, and accelleration data...
sounds like all the sensors are there for it.

regards Ryan

[mohrt]

Yep that's right, you can download the SDK. All applications are written in Objective-C in the OS X Cocoa environment. To submit applications to the App store, you must first apply for a developers license, which is $99 USD per year. Once Apple accepts you, you can submit applications, and they are put in the store once approved by Apple. The price is determined by yourself (.99-999.99), and Apple takes 30%.

There is a microphone on the device for sound input.

Edited by mohrt on Wednesday 30th July 14:52

[Steve_D]

I've got a Gtech Pro RR performance meter sitting in its box that I have never gotten around to using.

Steve

[ezakimak]

Steve,

Think of the iphone software and the g-tech box as a development and testing tool. You could use it along with your newly installed air fuel ratio meter.

Get the car warmed up, recorded some figures with either of the devices
Make a change to the air fuel ratio or spark timing, or tyre pressures, or shock valving or brake pads or…
Then go and make another run down the road, see if you can get a better result. Kind of like your own in house dyno.