We were inspired by the incredible challenge F1 drivers face in making split second decisions while controlling a vehicle capable of moving hundreds of meters in just a few seconds. Their visual and auditory channels are 100% saturated. F1 drivers are flooded with data coming from all directions but can't afford to look away from the track. An engineer's voice in their ear is just more noise in an already chaotic environment. We asked: 'What's the most under-utilized sense in the cockpit?' The answer was touch. Our goal was to give drivers a silent sixth sense that delivers critical data directly to the driver's skin in a way that wouldn't cause unnecessary distractions.

We built the "bridge" between data and driver by building a smart haptic glove that translates complex race alerts into simple, unmistakable vibrations. We have perfectly synched our haptic glove to a video demonstrating real scenarios that F1 racers face to mimic a simulated environment. You'll feel a rival gaining as the vibration gets stronger, a unique pattern notifying you to Pit, and a hard jolt for a crash.

We build this project using our computer as the master communication device sending instructions to an ESP32 wired to a vibration motor in the glove that we removed from an electric toothbrush that we bought.Our glove is a self-contained wearable centered on an ESP32 microcontroller, which is powered by a 3.7V Li-ion battery. The ESP32 hosts a Wi-Fi web server, listening for HTTP commands from our Python-based "Pit Wall" simulator. To safely drive the salvaged 1.5V motor without damaging the ESP32, we built a separate power circuit using a 1.5V AA battery.

We built our haptic glove as a true hack, combining resourceful hardware salvage with a robust, real-time communication system. We then bridged this to the microcontroller by using an NPN transistor as a digital switch, allowing a 3.3V GPIO pin to control the motor's circuit using PWM for variable intensity.

For this project we were faced with the immediate challenge of missing the most critical component to our design. The vibration motor used for haptic feedback! With no vibration motors at the MLH hardware lab, all local hardware stores closed, and next-day shipping being our only option, we demonstrated our problem-solving skills by salvaging a 1.5V motor from a Colgate 360 electric toothbrush. Our next big challenge came with our understanding of the ESP32 microcontroller. No one in our team had prior experience using this device, so when we first hooked up the 3.3 volts from our ESP32 to our vibration motor we were stumped when the motor would not budge. After going through extensive trial and error we realized that the ESP32 successfully creating enough voltage to charge the motor, but was unable to produce sufficient current to power the motor. Our solution was to power the motor using the 1.5v battery that was miraculously included with the Colgate 360 electric toothbrush. This was the precise breakthrough we needed to get our project on track to succeed.

We are incredibly proud of the

We have only scratched the surface for the potential that a device like this has.