Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) recently announced it has re-upped its partnership with international IT services company NTT DATA, and the relationship is more than just a sponsorship on the No. 10 Indy car driven by Tony Kanaan.
While behind the wheel, Kanaan wears a specially fitted shirt equipped with NTT DATA’s Hitoe technology. The shirt’s fabric acts as a sensor to track Kanaan’s heart rate, muscle contractions and other biosignals. The data is transferred back to the team to be analyzed in real-time, allowing the inner workings of the driver to be better understood.
NTT DATA designed Kanaan’s smart garment using Nomex, a fire resistant material approved by IndyCar, according to the company.
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CGRT and NTT DATA envision Hitoe giving them a leg up on other drivers on the track. “No one has ever studied the heart rate and muscle fatigue of race car drivers during a race,” Kanaan told Popular Science in a June article. “If I can understand these things in real time, I can better control them to help my driving. I can also tailor my workouts to improve my heart rate and lower body strength.”
A partnership with NTT DATA has benefited CGRT beyond Kanaan’s vital signs. NTT DATA’s technological expertise strengthen numerous aspects of the entire race team, Chip Ganassi, owner of Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, said in a statement. “They have been with us for the last four years and we look forward to strengthening our relationship with them for years to come.”
“We’ve enjoyed being not just a sponsor on the car, but an actual partner in the race program with our technical contributions to the team.” John McCain, CEO, NTT DATA, Inc said.
By breaking into the racing industry with Hitoe, NTT DATA gained the trust of an industry that is historically slow to let its guard down, Brian Welling, Kanaan’s assistant engineer told Popular Science. Catching on in the medical field may be the company’s next natural progression.
NTT DATA announced it is currently testing Hitoe technology for applications in patient care. Elderly patients wearing Hitoe technology may stave off lengthy hospital stays while the garments they wear continually monitor their vitals and send feedback on to providers.
Nine to fivers may also stand to benefit from Hitoe’s innovation. A recent NTT DATA study succeeded in using Hitoe to generate a visual component that represents the fatigue and stress levels of office workers.
“Sometimes it gets depressing to spend time in a hospital just to be monitored,” Kanaan said in article with the Dallas Morning News. “In the future, the doctor will be given a live feed. You’ll be at home while still getting treatment.”