IndyCar will adopt two new safety devices this season, which will provide detailed data about the forces on the cars and drivers during a crash. The new Accident Data Recorders (ADR) and Ear Plug Accelerometers (EPA) will be provided by EM Motorsport, a supplier of electronic safety devices, sensors and custom-built data systems to the motorsport industry.
The ADR uses internal accelerometers and gyros as well as a controller area network (CAN) interface to capture ‘at the scene’ accident data to aid post-event analysis and safety research. Furthermore, EM says that the ADR is smaller and lighter than the unit it replaces in the series.
The EPA is a small device with a three-axis accelerometer that fits inside each of the driver’s earplugs to obtain crucial information about a driver when they are involved in an accident. This includes the driver’s radio communications as well as data from the accelerometer that detects the speed and amount of movement of a driver’s head in an accident.
IndyCar says it has moved to use EM Motorsport’s ADR4 and EPA devices after successful tests during the 2020 racing season.
