NTT and NTT DATA Roar into the Indianapolis 500 with AI-powered Fan Experience

NTT, a leading global technology and business solutions provider, and NTT DATA continue to expand innovative use of racing data to improve fan experiences across the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, including this year’s Indianapolis 500.

NTT is the parent company of NTT DATA, and they serve together as Official Technology Partner of INDYCAR, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), the Indianapolis 500, and NASCAR Brickyard weekend.

Through 140-plus sensors on each racecar, NTT DATA captures and analyzes more than 8 billion racing datapoints in the NTT Smart Solutions Platform. Leveraging advanced AI and predictive analytics, the company shares near-real-time insights and visualizations to fans both onsite and remotely for enhanced storytelling of key moments during events including head-to-head overtaking, race strategies, race winner predictions and more. Additionally, the 300,000-plus fans onsite for the race benefit from data on wait times and flow across the 600-plus acre venue calibrated every 30 seconds.

SMART Venues Improve the Fan Experience
Fans at the Indianapolis 500 or other events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway can experience NTT DATA Smart Venue technology, sustainability solutions and live race data at the Pagoda command displays. For example, AI-enabled optical detection technologies improve security and traffic flow, and when combined with digital ticketing, provide real-time and future prediction wait times at the event gates and concessions. This allows fans at the world’s largest single-day sporting event to move through the venue as safely and efficiently as possible.

AI-enabled Racing Insights
Whether at the racetrack, at home or on the go, fans of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES can also tap into the INDYCAR App Powered by NTT DATA to stay up to date on all of the latest developments. The App allows fans to get even closer to the action with real-time, AI and advanced analytics providing racing insights that include live scoring and viewing of the drivers in action courtesy of 15 in-car cameras. The App, which historically engages more than 70,000 users on race days, is available for download from the iOS App Store and Google Play.
NTT DATA also continues to enable other similar innovative experiences to benefit fans and increase engagement across all mediums, via social media, the web and television or streaming broadcast, through reliable technology and services that deliver deeper data insights.

Race Like the Pros
This year, a new limited racing demonstration will leverage Embodied Knowledge technology from NTT R&D. Embodied Knowledge powers simulators that blend physical sensations with digital innovation, allowing users to precisely experience a track as driven by a professional driver. Beyond the experience of traditional simulators, Embodied Knowledge adds the actual feel and performance of the professional driver at high speeds at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway including realistic steering wheel forces and car behavior like vibrations and forces exerted on seat, users can synchronize their movements with that of a professional driver via XR.

NTT Embodied Knowledge technology is being explored for future use cases including medical surgery training, coaching and fan experiences in sports. Future applications include employee training across retail, education, and manufacturing, as well as enabling AI-robots to learn how to move and react the way humans do to perform tasks from restocking shelves to in-home caregiving. The effort is part of the more than $3.6B NTT invests each year in research and development, uncovering innovations that have commercial impact for their customers.

“The Indianapolis 500 is the pinnacle of racing that leverages refined Embodied Knowledge where firsthand the movements of racers can be felt to understand what Embodied Knowledge truly means. Through various sensing technologies, we aim to technically recreate these movements and sensations.” said Kota Hidaka, Vice President, Head of NTT Human Informatics Laboratories.