F1-Gantry
A production-grade, native Swift / SwiftUI application simulating the official FIA Formula 1 starting gantry system. It features high-fidelity visual rendering, a zero-dependency in-memory audio synthesizer, a non-blocking monotonic state machine, sub-millisecond reaction telemetry with jump-start penalty validation and competitive timing leaderboard.
🏎️ Project Overview
In Formula 1, standing starts are critical tactical moments where driver reaction times (typically between 180ms and 250ms) can dictate the outcome of a Grand Prix.
F1-Gantry brings the engineering rigor of Formula 1 starting systems to Apple platforms:
- Dual-Enclosure Gantry: 5 columns of synchronized red lights across 2 rows, flanked by an integrated green light enclosure (Column 6).
- Automated Procedural Countdown: Sequential activation of red light pairs at exact 1.0-second intervals.
- FIA Variable Abort/Hold Window: A randomized hold between 1.0 and 4.0 seconds simulating the automated race-start system.
- Lights Out Execution: Instantaneous extinguishment of all red lamps, activation of green clearance lamps for 3.0 seconds, and emission of the 1800 Hz “Go” acoustic burst.
- Reaction Time Telemetry: High-precision measurement logging driver response delta upon clicking “START RACE CAR”, coupled with false-start jump detection under FIA sporting criteria.
- Competitive Timing & Classification: Persistent tracking and ranking of personal records, telemetry logs, and global leaderboards—filtered strictly by valid, non-infraction reaction times.
📺 Watch a 25-seconds preview on YouTube: F1-Gantry
📜 FIA Regulatory Background & Rules
The timing sequences, light layout, and penalties implemented in this simulator are derived directly from the FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations (Articles 44 & 48):
| Parameter | Official FIA Specification | Simulator Implementation |
|---|---|---|
| Lamp Layout | Two horizontal rows of 5 red lights positioned over the grid. Green lights indicate track clearance or race start. | 2 Rows × 5 Columns Red + 2 Rows × 1 Column Green. Synchronized vertically per column. |
| Countdown Interval | Red lights illuminate sequentially at 1.0-second intervals (Column 1 through Column 5). | Non-blocking 1.0-second intervals via Task.sleep using monotonic clock tracking. |
| Random Hold Window | Once all 5 red lights are illuminated, the preset system initiates a random delay of 0.2s to 3.0s (extended to 1.0s–4.0s here for human testing). | Double.random(in: 1.0...4.0) |
| The “Start” (Lights Out) | The race start is signalled by all red lights being extinguished simultaneously. | Reds immediately extinguish, greens illuminate, and ContinuousClock.now records the start mark. |
| Green Light Duration | Green lights remain illuminated for track clearance after the start. | Maintained for exactly 3.0 seconds, after which the system resets to the initial idle state. |
| Jump Start (False Start) | Art. 48.1.a: A car moves before the red lights are extinguished. Penalized with a 5-second time penalty or drive-through. | If “START RACE CAR” is pressed before currentState == .lightsOutGo, a FALSE START is flagged, the run aborts, and a 5.0s penalty is logged. |
⏱️ Monotonic Telemetry & Benchmark Evaluation
Sub-Millisecond Measurement
Wall-clock timing APIs (Date(), gettimeofday()) are prone to clock adjustments (NTP syncs, leap seconds, daylight saving). F1Lights relies on ContinuousClock:
- Guarantees strictly forward-progressing monotonic time.
- Captures timestamps at the exact instant the state machine dispatches .lightsOutGo.
Leaderboard
Top 10 reaction times are stored securely in a leaderboard which can be seen by clicking on the trophy icon 🏆 on the top right corner of the app. This is implemented using Apple’s Native CryptoKit: Built into Swift/iOS/macOS since iOS 13 / macOS 10.15. Zero external third-party dependencies.
Tamper-Proof (Authenticated Encryption): AES-GCM includes an authentication tag (Poly1305/GMAC). If someone tries to tamper the file in a hex editor and changes even a single bit, decryption fails, preventing corrupted or manipulated high scores.
FIA Benchmark Evaluation
When the user clicks “START RACE CAR”, their reaction time is calculated and graded beneath the telemetry line:
| Reaction Time | Classification | Status |
|---|---|---|
< 180 ms |
⚡ Alien Speed (Cyan) | Phenomenal reflex |
180 ms – 250 ms |
🏎️ F1 Pro (Electric Green) | Professional level |
250 ms – 350 ms |
🚗 Average Driver (Amber Gold) | Standard human reflex |
350 ms – 3.0 s |
🐢 Slow Start (Orange) | Delayed response |
> 3000 ms |
🛑 Stalled (Red) | False start / Inactive |
Help and Support
Report Issues
You can report any issues here: https://forms.gle/XDUkjJ2TJzEruakX9
Please provide clear, detailed information and the correct repository for the issue so it can be properly triaged and addressed.
Trademarks
All Formula 1 trademarks, gantry configurations, and regulatory references belong to Formula One Licensing B.V. and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
© 2026 Santak Das, Tara Design Studio. All rights reserved.