MAPACHE – AN INTELLIGENT, REAL-TIME TELEMETRY PLATFORM FOR FORMULA SAE

Abstract

In motorsport, real-time data is key to performance and reliability, but many Formula SAE teams forgo telemetry due to the complexity of traditional systems. We present Mapache, a real-time telemetry and data analytics platform developed by Gaucho Racing, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) chapter at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Mapache eliminates the need for base stations or dedicated personnel, making high-performance telemetry more accessible and resilient. The on-vehicle system decodes CAN messages, streams telemetry via MQTT when connectivity is available, and caches data locally when offline. Upon reconnection, a GPU- accelerated pipeline ensures zero-loss migration of cached data to the cloud. MQTT messages are ingested into a SingleStore database, powering real-time, low-latency analytics. As the first system of its kind in Formula SAE, Mapache sets a new benchmark for intelligent telemetry.