Systems and methods for controlling an interactive hybrid environment representing a motorised sporting event at a track

A computer system for controlling an interactive hybrid environment representing a motorized sporting event at a track, the interactive hybrid environment including representations of real and virtual vehicles on the track, the system comprising:

• a receiver for receiving a stream of real sensor data, the real sensor data comprising real kinematic data of a real vehicle on the track and real control data regarding the control of the real vehicle by a driver, the real kinematic data being captured by infra-red sensors at the track configured to detect infra-red radiation either emitted, reflected or transmitted from the real vehicle, wherein the detected infra-red radiation is processed to determine the kinematic data of the real vehicle, and the real control data being captured by vehicle sensors and obtained via telemetry systems from the real vehicle;
• a virtual race command processor configured to receive a stream of computer-generated control data which is obtained by user interaction with a computer presenting the interactive hybrid environment to the user and capturing the user inputs to control kinematic behaviour the representation of the virtual vehicle;
• and
• a virtual race simulation engine including:
• a race simulation output engine for determining the position and kinematic behaviour of the representation of the real vehicle within the interactive hybrid environment using the real kinematic data;
• a reference black box model generator configured to use the real control data and the real kinematic data to create a black box determination of the position of the real vehicle on the track based on the real control data, wherein the black box determination defines a transfer function of inputs to outputs;
• and
• a gaming black box implementing engine configured to determine the position and kinematic behaviour of the representation of the virtual vehicle within the interactive hybrid environment by using the black box determination and the computer-generated control data.