Radar Systems Increase Safety For Motorcyclists

Assistance systems are also slowly conquering the motorcycle: Ducati and KTM are working on radar systems that are aimed both in front of the motorcycle and behind the vehicle and are intended to increase safety. Here you can learn about the upcoming motorcycle giveaway.

Forward-facing is adaptive cruise control that regulates acceleration and deceleration within a certain speed range depending on the distance to vehicles in front. The rear-facing radar system has the function of monitoring the blind spots at an angle behind the motorcycle and warning the driver of the impending danger of changing lanes by lighting up LEDs in the rearview mirror. The series launch is planned for 2020.

The front radar should not only be able to keep the distance to vehicles ahead at changing speeds, it should also warn of rear-end collisions caused by distraction. For this purpose, a further developed information display is integrated that shows the danger warnings.

Ducati warning system advanced
Ducati's backward-facing warning system is already relatively far advanced: In May 2017, a patent application was filed for the control algorithm, and a scientific publication was also published. The basis is the collaboration between the Italian motorcycle manufacturer and various student bodies at the Politecnico University of Milan, which began in 2016. The front radar was also included in development in 2017. The generic term for all new Ducati safety systems is Advanced Rider Assistance Systems or ARAS for short.

The first blind spot assistant in a single-lane vehicle has been available since 2016: The "Side View Assist" used in the BMW scooter C 650 GT is an ultrasound system with four sensors; it is based on a technology that is often used in cars.

KTM also relies on radar
Like Ducati, KTM has decided to rely on radar, for which a single module at the rear of the motorcycle is sufficient. The wide beam angle makes it possible to scan the entire area directly behind the motorcycle and to give any necessary warnings. The prototype, which is mounted in a 1290 Super Adventure, has light-emitting diodes in the two rear-view mirrors that light up when other vehicles are in the blind spot. It is necessary that the metal content is very high: "Cyclists cannot therefore reliably recognize the system," says Tobias Stadler, head of road testing in KTM's development department.

The development of adaptive cruise control is more difficult because it is also associated with a change in driving speed. “We won't have an emergency brake assistant like the one integrated into cars,” says Stadler. It is too dangerous to let a motorcycle automatically initiate emergency braking with a driver who may not be fully attentive. The system installed in the prototype is designed to work in the range between 30 and 200 km / h.

In practice, it means that the driver sets the desired speed, for example, 130 km / h. If the route in front of the motorcycle is clear, the system maintains this speed. If the KTM equipped with this system runs into slower vehicles, it is automatically slowed down, and in the case of greater deceleration even with the brake light switched on to warn vehicles behind. It has not yet been defined whether and in what form the driver is warned if the speed difference to the vehicle in front is so great that the automated slowing down according to the calculation of the system is insufficient. Ducati has opted for a visual warning.

Integrated airbags for motorcycle suits
Both Ducati and KTM have been collaborating with a manufacturer of airbags integrated into motorcycle suits for a long time. A special model, the Ducati Multistrada 1200 D / air, has been available since 2014, which is factory-fitted with additional electronics for triggering the airbag integrated into a Dainese suit. The system can distinguish between harmless "falls over" and real falls; is only triggered in the event of a real hazard.

KTM has decided to do without a radio link between the motorcycle and clothing; The airbag system integrated into suits with the KTM logo comes from the Italian manufacturer Alpinestars, which otherwise makes boots, gloves, and conventional leather and textile motorcycle suits. The trigger electronics are integrated into the airbag vest and react to information provided every two milliseconds by two sensors and a gyroscope. The Alpinestars airbag system, like that of Dainese, was originally developed for racing and was later optimized for road use. It can be used on any motorcycle, so it is not limited to use on a KTM. (SP-X)