DS Performance needed a rapid and high-quality solution in order for their Formula E pilots to keep on practising and racing from their homes during the Covid-19 lockdown in Europe and turned to BenQ monitors. From that first collaboration, grew a relationship of trust which meant that BenQ was consulted and then chosen when DS wanted to upgrade its equipment, within the headquarters of DS Performance in Versailles: display and projection solutions, for the Simulation area, for the Engineers and for the creation of the VIP and media reception area during the broadcast of the races.
Working hand in hand, BenQ and DS Performance found the right solutions for race simulation, entertainment, and the quality of office furnishing. From digital signage panels to interactive displays and short-throw projectors, the Formula E team now has all its needs met.
The engineers are happy with vertical monitors that allow them to work more efficiently. The garage is equipped with an interactive display that allows for better communication, and the pilots are able to have an immersive experience thanks to the short throw projectors without compromising on the ability of the engineers to record and analyse their race with the help of BenQ’s lighting solutions. And for the people invited for viewings, they get to enjoy the races as if they were right by the tracks, thanks to BenQ’s digital signage solutions.
Year of Completion
2022
BenQ Solutions
Segment
Simulation, Hospitality and Corporate
Location
Versailles, France
Project
DS Performance needed upgrades for different parts of their office, a training simulator, and hospitality. BenQ came out to be the right fit for all their needs as it provided relevant solutions.
When the first Covid 19 lockdown was declared in France in March 2020, DS contacted BenQ for a partnership. DS Performance Formula E team is the combination of two of the most prominent teams in the ABB FIA Formula E championship, combining performance and avant-garde; therefore, they couldn’t let the lockdown dull the skills of their pilots.
DS Techeetah was looking for curved monitors in order to equip pilots’ homes both for training purposes and for them to take part in the Race At Home Challenge which BenQ provided.
Upon learning that BenQ could also offer digital signage, interactive displays, BlueCore lasers simulation projectors and a range of office solutions for the architects, designers, engineers and drivers of the team, the relationship between the two companies deepened.
A decisive factor in the collaboration was making sure the driver’s expectations for the simulator were matched. They expect high image quality and frequency; luminosity is also an essential part of a proper immersion inside the racecar carbon cockpit. Therefore, it was important to find a simulator that would fit the room constraints, be complementary to the screen and meet the driver’s expectations.
Specially designed for short-throw fixed lens installations in compact spaces, the LU951ST was the right choice for building the simulation room. The simulation room is used almost daily so knowing that the three LU951ST are relying on DLP chip design which ensures true-to-life colours and pristine details over countless uses and 100,000 hours of use, which means the Formula E team can focus on training without worrying about the degradation of the quality of the projection.
The biggest challenge in the simulation room was not just the projection, but making sure the room would be functional for both engineers who needed to see well enough on their screens to record and analyse the pilots’ performance and the pilots themselves who need to feel fully immersed. "BenQ's expertise was very interesting from the beginning of our upgrade. Their experts were able to come on-site and take the time necessary to understand our needs and give us the best advice," points out Mister Charles-Henri BONNET, the Marketing & Events Manager, DS Performance.
"The Formula E calendar is very busy and the driving simulator is a tool used every day. DS needed to find the right product straight away, and have some guarantees on the final result. BenQ’s team has done their best, closely followed every step of the implementation and always kept in mind the challenges of the spaces”.
The simulation room was then fitted with BenQ professional monitors that support dual view and have a Darkroom mode that adjusts image brightness and contrast for work in dark environments. These features, combined with BenQ’s monitor screenbars mean that these monitors can be used in the simulation rooms, without compromising the dark environment needed for the projection. DS Performance made the decision to equip themselves with 30 BenQ professional monitors, from the simulation room to the office of engineers and graphic designers.
Once the requirements of the drivers and engineers were met, making sure that everyone would get access to easy communication all throughout the office was the next task at hand. DS Performance’s Garage is a hub for all employees. It was key for this room to be fitted with an interactive display that allows for easy communication. For this space, the RM5502 is the perfect fit. On top of high image resolution, all the built-in apps like the whiteboarding software, the annotation tools or the instant access to the cloud help boost productivity, with ease.
Formula E is racing, reinvented. And in order to get a full experience, it’s primordial to be able to watch it, even from afar, in the best conditions possible. For hospitality, DS Performance made the choice of trusting BenQ solutions once again to create a dedicated space to receive VIPs and journalists during races. BenQ provided the ST Series, and the SL Series from the Pantone Validated Series, for better image quality and colour accuracy. For specific formats, they also equipped the space with some stretch digital signage. The team at DS Performance also appreciates the integrated tools such as AMS and DMS that allow them to manage all the displays from one computer, without hassle. Now, the people invited to the hospitality lounge can enjoy the races from New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Rome in 4K HD clarity.
Pilots are happy with the upgrade. They now feel better in the car, and more connected to simulation, which allows them to use and train their driving skills to the best of their abilities. This also means that engineers are able to build more realistic data.
So from the driver's training to the people enjoying the race, the BenQ solutions and systems are bringing reliability and immersion in the Formula E world to DS Performance.