A model calculation unit for calculating an RBF model is described, including a hard-wired processor core designed as hardware for calculating a fixedly predefined processing algorithm in coupled functional blocks, the processor core being designed to calculate an output variable for an RBF model as a function of one or multiple input variable(s) of nodes V[j,k], of length scales (L[j,k]), of weighting parameters p3[j,k] predefined for each node, the output variable being formed as a sum of a value calculated for each node V[j,k], the value resulting from a product of a weighting parameter p3[j,k] assigned to the particular node V[j,k], and a result of an exponential function of a value resulting from the input variable vector as a function of a square distance of the particular node (V[j,k]), weighted by the length scales (L[j,k]), the length scales (L[j,k]) being provided separately for each of the nodes as local length scales.