Heusinkveld’s SmartControl Live allows pedal mapping changes mid-race

While Heusinkveld didn’t have any new physical products to show at the recent SimRacing Expo in Germany, it did have an early version of a trick software feature to test. 

The Dutch sim racing equipment manufacturer already includes its SmartControl software with its pedals and handbrakes, but SmartControl Live will allow drivers to set up a second map that can be switched to on-the-fly mid-race. 

“Up until now, if you wanted to change a pedal setting or load a different profile, you had to exit the sim, open the profile and apply it,” said Svend van der Vlugt, Co-Owner of Heusinkveld Engineering to Traxon.GG. 

“SmartControl Live will allow our customers and drivers to change pedal settings on the fly.” 

In theory, imagine you’re driving a sim platform that has changeable weather conditions such as Assetto Corsa Competizione or rFactor 2, you could have a second, gentler, throttle map, programmed and assigned to a steering wheel button. 

When the rain comes, you hit the switch, and the Heusinkveld pedal curve is changed. There are other possible uses too. 

“Perhaps you drive both Assetto Corsa and iRacing, and for iRacing you may want a slightly different braking behaviour,” continued Van der Vlugt. 

“It’s also possible to limit the throttle pedal, for example. Maybe you want to do lift and coast in certain races, and you know that 75 per cent throttle is the optimal setting for that. 

“You are on a straight and at one point you can just push a button, it limits the throttle output, then you enter the corner, release the button and it goes back to normal.” 

The tool will work across clutch, throttle, accelerator and handbrake applications as a free update to anyone using an existing Heusinkveld product currently compatible with the existing SmartControl software. 

The update to add the Live feature is slated as ‘coming soon’, with no firm date yet, although Van der Vlugt confirmed that it’s currently in testing with affiliated esports teams. 

“Even pedal sets which were bought back in 2014, and I mean the Ultimate pedal sets with the Upgrade Kit, people can still continue to enjoy the hardware and get some new features eight year later, said Van der Vlugt. 

“We want to get it out sooner rather than later.”