www.hpmag.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Festo automation puts disabled drivers in control

p4 p42p16

Manufacturing outputpicks up

Safety through simulation

Annual Boardroom Report

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION FOR THE FLUID POWER & SYSTEMS AND AIR-TECH EXHIBITIONS

PNEUMATICS

Team BRIT and MME Motorsport havedeveloped a new hand control technologythat enables disabled and able-bodieddrivers to use the same car.

Described as the world’s mosttechnologically advanced hand controls,the system uses pneumatic technologydonated by industrial automationspecialist Festo to enable the steering,brakes, clutch, throttle and gears to becontrolled using hands alone.

Steve Sands commented: “Festo GB isvery happy to support Team BRIT in thedevelopment of their ground-breakinghand control system, aimed at makingmotorsport more inclusive for people withdisabilities. The team has workedwonders integrating proportionalpneumatic controls to put disabled driversin total control of the car.”

Team BRIT is a competitive racingteam, not a charity, which races againstteams of able-bodied drivers on a totallylevel playing field.

Life-changingDave Player, founder of Team BRIT, said:“For the drivers, being able to participatein endurance racing is genuinely life-changing; it is a tool for rehabilitation andrecovery within their ethos of being ableto believe and achieve. It’s the pursuit ofspeed, breaking of boundaries and theteamwork that makes the sport soengaging and the drivers can pushthemselves physically whilst recoveringmentally.”

Developed with Slovenian motorsportsexpert Marko Mlakar, and implementedand engineered by Team BRIT’s specialistengineers, the new controls introduce anelectronic braking system, making racing

easier and safer for drivers who areunable to use their legs. Fully adaptable,technologically sound and proven at thehighest level, the hand controls mean thatevery driver racing on the track is equal,with no-one at a disadvantage due to anamputation, injury or congenital defect.

Furthermore, the specially adaptedsteering wheel can be removed,unplugged and replaced with a normalsteering wheel so the car reverts tostandard specification. This could meanthat, in future, production of vehiclessuitable for disabled drivers becomessimpler and less expensive, bringingmobility to millions.

Easy to replicateThe new set-up is easy to replicate for useon simulators too, so disabled people can

32 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS January/February 2019 www.hpmag.co.uk

Team BRIT and MME Motorsport use Festo automation to put disabled drivers in control

enjoy e-racing as well as driverdevelopment. It is also suitable for use onroad cars, which opens up the market fortrack day experiences, as well as car hireand test drives in supercars for peoplewith physical impairments.

Team BRIT has already achieved a lot.Now, it is ready to make history bybecoming the first all-disabled team toparticipate in the Le Mans 24-hour race –and the evolution of the special handcontrols will go a long way towardsmaking this ambition achievable.

Team BRIT is currently seeking formalsafety approval and homologation for thecontrols from the Motor SportsAssociation (MSA), motorsport’sgoverning body.

www.festo.co.uk

The hand control system featuring Festo proportional pneumatic controlsputs disabled drivers in total control of the car and has potentialapplications in motorsport, road cars and simulators.

(Photo courtesy of David Archer, Kingsize Photography)

Team BRIT aims to be the first all-disabled team to compete in the Le Mans 24-hour race, thanks toa new hand control braking system using pneumatic technology donated by Festo.

(Photo courtesy of David Archer, Kingsize Photography)