# Race-Keeper RKD telemetry files: RKD Telemetry Extractor: decoding Race-Keeper track-day recordings

> Source: <https://reversedwithai.com/p/race-keeper-rkd-telemetry-files-424965e7>
> Published: 2026-10-23 10:39:20+00:00

## Evidence at a glance

Based on the linked sources. The author's reported result and independent confirmation are separate checks.

- AI involvement
- Reported models: Claude. Tools: Claude Code, Python, Go, pytest. The writeup below describes the work attributed to AI.
- Reported result
- Works. This is the directory's source-based outcome classification.
- Independent confirmation
- Not reported.
- Human work and limitations
- The project uses Claude Opus 4.6 as a co-author for various commits, including fixes for cross-platform parity and test coverage improvements.

### Original sources

## What was done

The RKD Telemetry Extractor is a reverse-engineered tool that converts proprietary Race-Keeper .rkd files into CSV and GPX formats for cross-platform use, enabling telemetry visualization on macOS and Linux.

The RKD Telemetry Extractor provides a method to extract GPS, accelerometer, and gyroscope data from proprietary .rkd binary files used by Race-Keeper "Instant Video" systems. The project includes two independent parser implementations, in Python and Go, which produce byte-for-byte identical output. The format was reverse-engineered in a single day using Claude Code as a collaborative analysis partner. The tool exports data to Telemetry Overlay Custom CSV (30 Hz) and GPX 1.1 for track visualization. The author reports that the format uses a PNG-style magic signature followed by a sequential stream of typed records. While the tool successfully processes GPS and IMU data, it currently lacks support for OBD-2 data, as the recordings used for reverse-engineering did not contain such data. The author notes that Race-Keeper systems support OBD-II, and has issued a call for sample files to implement this feature. The project documentation includes a formal binary format specification, research notes, and session logs detailing the AI-assisted analysis process. See the [project repository](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sam-dumont/rkd-telemetry-extractor/HEAD/README.md) for full details.

## Reproduce it

```
For Python: cd python && python3 rkd_parser.py outing.rkd. For Go: cd go && go build -o rkd-parser . && ./rkd-parser outing.rkd.
```