Latest News - 2021
December 2021:
Before enjoying some time with friends and family during the holiday season, the PERRINN 424 family committed to the achievement and the launch of some important activities to end the year on a solid note.
Let's start with 424 Rear Suspension Design. We are now rebuilding the whole rear suspension assembly to create the new BOM (Bill Of Materials) and compare masses with the older version. Once this is done, we will be able to replace the old suspension by the new one in the main 424 3D assembly. Just to give you an idea : 1.1kg have been saved on the new upright assembly, which means a 0.5sec gain on the Nürburgring lap considering that this same mass will be saved on all four corners of the car. The upcoming new brake design should enable to save weight too.
By the way, in order to pass all the required data to our brake supplier so that it is able to design a lighter version of the disc & callipers, we have used the "Ideal Lap" new feature of the Unity simulation. While you are playing, this tool is constantly recording the best sector times and concatenates them to get the best possible lap time. Those data will then be used for the Autopilot, to display the dash delta time on the steering wheel and to use reference channels in the telemetry feature. More developments to come in the next few weeks...
Very soon, the Unity simulation will be playable with any device (steering, pedals,...) you wish. Our Unity expert is flat out on this task to deliver a "Plug and Play" simulation as soon as possible.
Another big milestone is the set-up of the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) solution that will be used to optimize the 424 aero package for Nürburgring. We will employ the Bramble software with Microsoft Azure as a cloud HPC (High Performance Computing Solution). Now that everything is correctly connected, CFD work will start in the next few days...a very exciting step forward !
Finally, the PERRINN.com platform has become even more fair and transparent with the creation of a "Stripe account" for PERRINN reserve of funds. As you can guess, the account balance is visible by everybody.
2022 will get quite busy for PERRINN 424 !
November 2021:
The end of the year is not synonymous with holidays for PERRINN 424 as November marks the launch of MISSION FOCUS. It means that every task, design, software we are developing should help us move closer to our goal : setting a new lap record at the Nürburgring. In this framework, the name of the token used on our platform has changed as investing in it is linked to the development and success of Project 424. COIN is dead, long live 424 COIN.
Our mechanical design expert is unstoppable. He keeps saving mass on the upright and the whole rear suspension assembly while improving the overall car performance. A captivating work that can be followed on the dedicated webpage.
Regarding Unity simulation, we are closer than ever to the integration of the work performed by our 3D artist on the realistic aspect of the car. Once the last bugs are fixed, a new version of the simulation will be released with a 424 prototype covered with carbon fiber, aluminium, matte black and shining white paint, alcantara, wood,... It will also be the opportunity for you to discover 424 brand new livery with the logo of our new sponsors like xNorm Capital as well as the name of all PERRINN members on the side of the car.
As it is rooted into our philosophy, let's be fully transparent : for some months, we have been facing some issues with Autopilot mode in Unity simulation. It is now lost to history. Thanks to a huge investigative work performed by the whole team, bugs were finally identified in the Unity simulation code and immediately solved. "We are a team".
As of this writing, many tasks are ongoing or about to start : the record of ideal laps in Unity to feed Autopilot feature is being scripted, a new tyre model is being developed for Unity, the integration of the battery model in Unity is being performed. Meanwhile, PERRINN team is sourcing CFD tools and resources to be able to start 424 aerodynamic study and optimization for Nürburgring as soon as possible.
Last but not least : our partner SEGULA found the next engineer who will work on 424 battery cooling starting February 2022. She is a graduate student from France.
October 2021:
The partnership between SEGULA and PERRINN is now fully official as it was publicly disclosed on social media!
On Unity simulation side, the telemetry system is 100% functional and complete. Users can now enjoy a new lap overlay function to be able to compare all sorts of data between different laps. The feature is very easy to use and will satisfy even the most demanding players. In parallel, the visual aspect of 424 in the simulation is being improved thanks to the integration of all the work performed by our 3D artist into Unity.
As far as 424 performance is concerned, the quest for optimum aerodynamics and energy storage capacity started with an offline simulation algorithm. In terms of design, the team is working on the upgrade to the rear suspension to reduce mass while keeping a good stiffness level. Continuous comparison with LMP1 version of the assembly enables to have a good reference and measure the improvements achieved. Meanwhile, the aerodynamics of 424 is being adapted to the specific requirements of the Nordschleife. CFD analysis will start in the next few months to refine those changes.
On the commercial aspect of the project, discussions are ongoing with various potential partners that could enable us to access simulation tools needed for CFD analysis, for example. New Zealand is still at the heart of the negotiations as ThrillCapital is working hard to develop the 1st sim rig dedicated to P424, create a real hub around it and integrate students from local universities in our team.
It is only the beginning, we will keep you posted...
Who hasn't dreamed of one day joining a world-class motorsport team and winning the biggest races in the world? This is exactly what the PERRINN platform offers with its open source P424 project focused on the 24 hours of Le Mans. We met with Nicolas Perrin to discuss the founding of this unique initiative.
September 2021:
As promised last month, the back-to-school season marks the comeback of PERRINN in the media landscape. Therefore, a press release was issued and outstanding rendering images of 424 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife were created. A Media Center page makes it all available. Interview sessions with Nic Perrin have already started and first articles are about to be produced. Stay tuned!
While 424 Unity simulation and its high-end telemetry feature is becoming each day more complete and easy to use, work on 424 rear suspension design is ongoing. Now that mounting points positions are clearly defined and upright optimization enabled to get rid of more than half a kilo, CAD resources are dedicated to suspension arms design. This includes upper/lower wishbones, track-rod shape and profile as well as pickup points design. Time will tell if we keep push-rod technical choice or if we switch to pull-rod but whatever the solution, all parts must fit in the bodywork.
In parallel to those activities, all contributors are giving thoughts to the way the organization should evolve in the near future. As we are welcoming new members everyday, we endeavour to create the conditions that will enable you to enjoy the team experience as much as possible.
August 2021:
This month, a huge work around rear suspension design was achieved. Several stress analysis were performed in order to optimize the mounting points positions and the upright design. No less than 630g were gained on this sole part (cf. adjoining images with design evolution). Some adjustments have still to be done to limit maximum stress in critical areas but this single example shows how much mass reduction and therefore performance increase can be obtained on 424.
Visual appearance of the virtual car has also been taken care of as retopology activity is finished for all exterior parts. Aim of "retopology" is to convert very high resolution models into something much smaller through mesh simplification, so that they can be used for a video game. Our 3D artist will now concentrate on refining all areas inside the cockpit which is also very important as most players will drive using 1st person camera.
In New Zealand, while reflexion around the future competition format is still ongoing, ThrillCapital is pushing hard to welcome a new team of students in the project to work on Virtual Reality (VR) and Sim integration. Several meetings have been hold with university representatives to define the scope of this mission. The ultimate objective is to build the best sim rig possible to deliver the most realistic experience when driving 424 on Unity as well as a powerful tool for all students and engineers interested in race car simulation.
Of course, Unity code is not set aside as it can always be enhanced. The whole team of developers is very attentive to every detail that can be improved.
After 3 years under the radar, PERRINN will go public again very soon in order to attract more talents within the team. Keep posted, you should hear from us in the following weeks. Isn't it the perfect time for you to join?
July 2021:
As telemetry system ergonomics is being enhanced by our team of Unity developers, visual appearance of the simulation is being taken care of by our 3D artist with more and more areas of the car looking like real pictures: wheel uprights, brake callipers, suspension arms, chassis, bodywork...nothing is left to chance.
Meanwhile, the work around the battery cooling system is going on with a 1D simulation under progress to start dimensioning the cooling system and then being able to integrate the model into the Unity simulation. Believe it or not, this means that in addition to car dynamics, powertrain behaviour will also be accurately modelized in Unity with battery power, voltage, temperature among other resulting data.
July also marks the beginning of a new work field: the 3D design of our prototype car 424 in CAD. Not really new in fact as the current design is already the result of 10 years of R&D, but it is now time to start looking for the best technical choices now that electric engines have taken place under the hood. A close attention will also be given to the optimization of many chassis and aerodynamic details to get the best possible performance on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, as there is not any regulation we need to comply with for this first challenge.
PERRINN.com app is each time more complete with, among others, a brand new survey tool than can be used by everybody to get other members opinion on any relevant topic.
While all those development paths are in full swing, the prospect of actually creating a sim rig dedicated to Project 424 in New Zealand is more concrete than ever.
June 2021:
Now that telemetry system is fully functional, the team of Unity developers can concentrate on fixing the last issues and improving every detail. Useful keys and mouse buttons, layout options, channels colours and thickness on the graph are being defined among others. In this phase, Nic' (Perrin) is able to give us the benefit of his huge experience in Formula 1 and Formula E to deliver a state of the art telemetry system.
Another area which is currently progressing a lot is the visual appearance of the Unity simulation. Thanks to the arrival of a 3D artist in the team, no doubt you will hardly believe that our simulation is not a live video. The adjoining images give you a foretaste of what is coming up .
On battery cooling simulation side, the various results obtained up to now are matching which gives us confidence. The first conclusion we have been able to draw from them is that our battery will need some cooling system, even to run only one lap at Nürburgring. Let's now evaluate how much cooling is needed, the less the better.
Let us not forget that PERRINN.com app is continuously evolving. The reward system has been modified to be even fairer and a reflexion around decision making process is ongoing.
Meanwhile, thanks to the considerable effort made by our commercial partner ThrillCapital, interesting discussions are going on with potential partners in New Zealand. This could lead to the creation of a centre of excellence and learning platform that will help fund the project as a whole and increase again the collaboration between people from all over the world.
To be continued...
May 2021:
Now that 424 can drive around Nürburgring Nordschleife (Unity simulation), all systems developed up to now are being tested and validated. Autopilot mode was optimised this month in order to avoid any bug or lack of performance on what is certainly the most challenging track in the world. It is now a fully reliable feature that helps developers a lot when testing new functionalities as they can fully concentrate on coding without worrying about going off track. (even if they are very good drivers, don't take me wrong...) This tool will also be very useful when choosing the right set-up for the car as is the brand new telemetry system: a very intuitive interface that allows every user to choose and parameter the desired channels they want to have a look at, at the right sample frequency. A very powerful instrument that opens up new horizons.
In parallel, a "reduced" battery electrical model is under development so that it can be integrated into the Unity simulation. When ready, the driver will be able to have access to plenty of information regarding the battery: State of Charge, power, current, voltage,...in real time!
As far as battery cooling simulation is concerned, things are going pretty well too. Several models have already been created thanks to various tools and approaches. Meshes are being optimized and first results have been obtained with final elements method. Comparing them will undoubtedly enable to get the most realistic and convenient simulation.
April 2021:
All members are posting more and more messages on PERRINN.com to inform everybody with the latest updates or raise questions, which is absolutely great! This natural flow of communication is fundamental to accelerate our rate of innovation for the project. To keep being focused on content creation, COIN reward system has been modified to be better aligned with this philosophy: credits are now triggered by messages posted on the app (once a day). All details are available here and in settings page on PERRINN.com.
Amazing work achieved on Unity 424 driving simulator side. It is taking shape more than ever and it is now a matter of optimization. Lately, friction tire model was adjusted so that it sticks to reality. Next step is to improve steering force feedback. This way, driver's feeling will be as close as possible to real life. It is only the beginning, let's keep building on those sound foundations!
March 2021:
Nürburgring track data arrived! After some trimming work in Unity, 424 can now (virtually) compete against the clock on the legendary Green Hell.
Telemetry, suspension, tyre model...so many areas of development still to be dealt with to deliver the most realistic driving simulator possible.
As energy management is a key area to get performance and realism in our driving simulator, an intern from Segula Technologies has now joined the team to work on battery model. Battery cooling will be accurately modelled and data such as voltage and temperature will appear on the (virtual) steering wheel soon.
February 2021:
Perrinn members can now sign a contract on the platform so that their work is rewarded. All details are described here.
January 2021:
We are in the middle of the Nürburgring lap record phase of P424.
This is a 10 million COIN phase (2.5M RnD, 2.5M manufacturing, 2.5M operations, 2.5M testing and Nürburgring event).
In 2021 objective is to perform a ‘Virtual lap record’ in a professional motion platform simulator and use the content for marketing the project and growing our community.
The actual lap record could happen in 2023.
We are growing the project and community organically without hard deadline, focusing on sustainability.
PERRINN.com platform development is key to the success of P424 lap record phase.
After this lap record, it will be easier to launch the Le Mans 24H phase of P424 (car could be then converted to hydrogen technology, time will tell).
