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Pushing the Limits: Control System Innovation in Motorsport Engineering

How AMZ Racing used Speedgoat to win Formula Student 2024

AMZ Racing, the Formula Student team from ETH Zürich, achieved multiple overall victories in 2024, including a standout win at Formula Student Germany (FSG), underscoring their engineering excellence. Formula Student Germany is an international engineering design competition where student teams design, build, and race formula-style electric or autonomous vehicles.

We caught up with the team at the event in Hockenheimring to hear how they leveraged the Speedgoat solution to develop, test, and refine the controls of their race car—and how a season of success was fueled by innovation.

Compact and Integrated Electronic Control Unit (ECU)

“We used the Speedgoat Unit openframe target machine as our main ECU,” said Sven, their vehicle control unit (VCU) controls engineer. “Thanks to its seamless integration with Simulink®, we could design our control unit by combining it with a custom PCB and onboard Wi-Fi and turning it into a compact, lightweight package.”

Driving Performance with Ground Effect

AMZ introduced a new ground effect system that accelerates airflow beneath the car to generate additional downforce—a critical advantage on the tight, technical layouts of Formula Student tracks. “Our biggest limitation was grip in low-speed corners,” explained Nils, vehicle dynamics controls engineer. “The increased downforce directly translated to faster lap times. It’s fully integrated with our control systems, including torque vectoring and traction control, all running on our Speedgoat-based ECU to maximize performance.”

Real-Time Tuning of Control Algorithms

Speedgoat’s real-time end-to-end solution enabled AMZ to move beyond traditional controls design and iterate quickly during testing. To support this project, they built an in-house tool called StreamDream, enabling live signal streaming from Simulink.

“With Speedgoat, we adjusted parameters on the fly, streamed real-time data, and auto-generated A2L files,” said Nils. “Their technical support also helped us implement XCP channels for live calibration and logging—making tuning fast and efficient.”

Full-Vehicle Testing Before Hitting the Track

Beyond their track success, AMZ is investing in simulation-driven development. The team is building a complete Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulator, virtually modeling each custom PCB and system component. “Our goal is to simulate the full car and run real-time tests before anything touches the track,” explained Sven, who leads ECU development. “We’re integrating all subsystem models into a complete vehicle simulation—and Speedgoat plays a central role in bringing that vision to life.”

A New Suspension Concept

Innovation didn’t stop at the ECU. AMZ introduced a hybrid suspension system—combining hydraulic and mechanical components—a first in Formula Student.

The system is equipped with real-time sensors feeding data into the ECU for load case analysis and optimization.

“The hardware flexibility, integration with Simulink, and responsive support helped us move fast and build exactly what we needed,” said Nils, a crucial advantage when developing such a system.

Sponsoring

Speedgoat strongly believes in the benefits of project-based learning. We are proud to champion the next generation of engineers by equipping teams with real-time testing hardware, expert training, and hands-on technical support.

With Speedgoat test systems—offering the industry’s most seamless integration with MATLAB® and Simulink®—teams can rapidly prototype control designs and validate embedded controllers.

Learn more about our sponsoring projects

 

 

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