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Humber Esports and U.K.-based racing simulation company Simstaff unveiled their “Velocity Lab” in the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation.
The Simstaff team came to Humber on Dec. 13 to unveil their new lab which consists of two high-performance simulation racing rigs that resemble the cockpit of a NASCAR or F1 car.
The reasoning behind this partnership is to bridge the world of technological innovation with the world of esports as Humber Esports plans to build an eracing team. At the same time, design students will help create the virtual cars for the team.
3D generalists Matthew Feig and Matthew Redwood have been tasked to design the cars for the team.
Feig said their professor approached them about the project.
“He knew we were fans of motorsports, Naturally we were the first people in his mind," he said. "It would be an opportunity to create some sort of 3d application of our skills,” he said.
Matthew Feig said that during the event's showcase, while attendees played F1 24 (Formula 1’s licensed video game), his partner Matthew Redwood modelled the car in-game.
Feig said they were tasked with creating an in-game race track at Humber.
“We are thinking of using not the area inside Humber, but the area outside of Humber, with maybe a pit lane at the LRC or the bus terminals,” he said.
Senior Administrator Bernard Mafei said the eracing team will remain small, for now.
“We are only gonna look at two drivers to keep it relatively small to start and we are gonna have a coach slash mentor that is supported through the relationship with Simstaff,” he said.
Mafei said he wants to launch the team during the winter semester. He intends to spend the time between now and the end of February 2025 building infrastructure before getting players on board.
“They could go racing, literally, against each other but we only have the two machines so maybe time trials is how we do it, and we would be looking for things such as emotional temperament, maturity, technical execution, the ability to represent Humber in something bigger than yourself," he said.
This is the seventh varsity team for Humber Esports.
