The world is becoming unpredictable. It's not just the constant worry of future, which disturbs my sleep nowadays, but also the upcoming intervention of robots in our everyday lives. Soon we will be facing the dawn of automation era, our computers, our cars, our toasters will have a brain of their own which will judge what is right for us. For everything in the world, I am ready to have an automation, because the fewer decisions I need to make for myself, the better. Still, there are some things which will never become automated, our beloved motorcycles are one of those things. They will become safer and environmentally friendly over time but not “boring” because there will always be some amount of skill required to ride them. Ducati has taken a step in the same direction by pledging to offer world’s first “Advanced Rider Assistance System” by 2020 for motorcycles. In cars, such a system is already a reality and is known as the same but with “Driver” instead of “Rider”. What is this system all about? The answer is that nobody knows exactly what it's going to be. Although, judging by the safety features on the above-mentioned cars, we can figure out what the “Rider” version will bring to the table.
Cross Traffic Monitor:
In cars, this system functions as an alarm when you’re trying to reverse your vehicle from the driveway onto the main road. Since Motorcycles don’t have a reverse gear (generally) so this feature is pretty much useless for them.
City Brake Active System:
Many times riders fall off of their motorcycles in bumper to bumper traffic due to sudden braking from the front vehicle. In such a scenario, the above-mentioned system is useful, not only can it protect you from accidentally hitting your brakes too hard and losing balance but also in those cases when you’re looking somewhere else and suddenly realize that there is a truck standing in front of you.
Traffic sign recognition:
It’s a sign reading function which can read road signs like “speed limit” “diversion ahead” “no speed limit” etc. It will save you from getting a traffic violation ticket and let you know of any curves, bends, or construction up ahead if you forgot to read it yourself.
Forward collision warning:
It is very important to maintain the distance between your bike and the vehicle in front, especially when you’re on the highway. Literally, every truck in India is printed with a label that says “KEEP DISTANCE”. So, this feature will do that for you by alarming you everytime you get too close to the back of a vehicle.
Lane departure warning and Blind spot warning:
It is by far the most useful function on this platform. It will scan the road ahead and will inform you if it’s safe to shift lanes or not. Even while merging on a highway, the sensor will let you know if there’s a vehicle coming from the other side. The blind spot, while shifting lanes or taking an overtake, is quite easily the major cause of accidents in India.
Highbeam support system:
The new system will keep your headlight in high beam mode, only if there is no oncoming traffic. It will be a relief for everyone and it will prevent highway accidents to a great extent.
All these systems are inherently being applied in cars for a safe driving experience. If they are to be implemented in motorcycles then they need to be twice as responsive as a bike commutes in a much faster way, in the city and sometimes on the highway. The new setup will enhance the riding experience by allowing the rider to just worry about taking in the pleasure of driving on the open roads without the inherent fear of another vehicle unknowingly coming too close to him.
Let us know in the comments what you think about such a system and for everything related to Motorcycles, stay tuned to BikesMedia.
By: Yetnesh Dubey