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Aug 05
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Piaggio Develops Industry-First Safety Sensor With 4D Imaging Radar

By General Posts

by Cristina Mircea from https://www.autoevolution.com

Piaggio’s robotics subsidiary in Boston announced the first-of-a-kind sensor in the industry, including 4D imaging radar technology. The new sensor is supposed to increase safety in motorcycle and scooter riding.

Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF) is based in Boston and is owned by the Italian motor vehicle manufacturer. It is a robotics company that develops smart mobility solutions and has a few popular machines on the market, such as the “gita” hands-free following robot that can carry 40 lb of gear for up to four hours on a single charge.

With the help of PFF and Vayyar Imaging, a 4D imaging radar company, a new sensor technology has been developed and it will have several applications. The new hardware-software modules will be used in both consumer and business robots, as well as in motorcycles and scooters.

Piaggio claims its sensor technology is the industry’s first-ever 4D imaging radar-based motorcycle safety platform. It plans to use it for its motorcycles’ Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS), enabling a bunch of safety functions such as blind-spot detection, forward collision warning, or lane change assist, thus protecting riders.

According to the Italian manufacturer, the sensor incorporates complex, single-chip 4D imaging radar technology, comes with ultra-wide-field-of-view, and supports a range of more than 328 ft (100 meters). It provides mapping and object detection and control, regardless of the lighting or weather conditions.

PFF designed the sensor specifically for motorcycles and robotics, addressing their specific challenges. It is capable of tracking multiple targets and makes sure there are no dead zones that can lead to collisions of any kind.

Piaggio specifies that the new technology will be implemented in PFF’s robots starting at the end of this year. As far as using the module for its own motorcycles, the company says it will happen a bit later, in 2022.

PRESS RELEASE

Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF), the Boston-based robotics company controlled by Piaggio Group (PIA.MI) and a leader in smart following technology, has developed new sensor technology for implementation not only in consumer and business robots but also in scooters and motorcycles.

Founded in 2015 by the Piaggio Group, PFF has previously focused on advancing innovation in smart following technology and smart behavior implementation in robots and machines, but in a strategic decision last year, began developing a custom radar sensor module for use first in Piaggio Group motorcycles and scooters with the intention to provide the technology to other companies in the future.

PFF’s hardware-software modules offer uncompromising safety by providing robust monitoring in all environmental and lighting conditions. PFF awarded a supply contract for the modules’ Radar-on-Chip to Vayyar Imaging, marking the deployment of the industry’s first ever 4D imaging radar-based motorcycle safety platform. The complete sensor package is developed, built and supplied by PFF for mass production in Piaggio Group motorcycles’ Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS).

ARAS applications are on the front line of the battle to prevent collisions and protect motorcycle riders. ARAS technology meets the rigorous technological requirements of traditional driver assist functions, addressing additional motorcycle-specific challenges such as size constraints and seamless vehicle maneuverability at high-tilt angles.

The PFF modules use Vayyar’s mmWave 4D imaging Radar-on-Chip (RoC) sensor, enabling multiple ARAS functions such as Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Lane Change Assist (LCA) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW) with a single sensor supporting a range of over 100m, and an ultra-wide field-of-view. PFF robots incorporating the radar technology are expected to be released at the end of 2021, with Piaggio Group motorcycle models equipped with the PFF sensor module launching in 2022.

“PFF is creating advanced technology products for robots and motorcycles that detect and measure objects in our surroundings to provide the information we need for mapping, object detection, and control, regardless of lighting, weather and other environmental factors. We have chosen to develop our sensing applications with Vayyar’s 4D imaging radar technology. We are excited to work with such a professional, passionate team, to develop innovative new solutions that provide our customers with a better product experience.” Greg Lynn, CEO at Piaggio Fast Forward.

The Vayyar 4D imaging radar technology being used in both PFF robots and PFF sensing modules developed for the motorcycle industry supports a large Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) array that enables ultra-high resolution point cloud imaging for holistic monitoring of a robot’s and a vehicle’s surroundings. This high-performance sensor incorporates sophisticated single-chip 4D imaging radar technology, featuring an ultra-wide field of view (both in azimuth and elevation) with no dead zones, detecting and tracking multiple targets. Its small form-factor is engineered to address the unique challenges of motorcycle and robotics design.

“We’re very excited to partner with PFF, who are at the forefront of sensor technology, both in terms of harmonization with rider experience on two- and three-wheeled products, as well as application in their innovative robots. Motorcycle riders are among the most vulnerable road users, and this is a big step forward in reducing their risk of collision,” says Ilan Hayat, Director of Business Development at Vayyar Imaging. “Regardless of vehicle type, rider safety should not be compromised, and by partnering with PFF we are thrilled to deliver an automotive standard of safety to motorcycles”, added Hayat

Aug 14
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Honda Self-Balancing Concept Is Meant for Disabled Racers and Moto GP Lovers

By General Posts

by Cristian Curmei from https://www.autoevolution.com

You love motorcycles, and you love racing them. But life sometimes throws things at us that take away some of our most treasured abilities. This is the story of how a concept could bring a second chance to disabled amputees.

So you’re a Moto GP racer. Last season, while trying to overtake the soon to be second place racer, your rear tire was clipped from the outside and you were thrown over the bike. Not too big a deal, as you’ve been through it before. But this time you somehow end up underneath the bike and are dragged till you pass out.

You wake up in the hospital, with doctors telling you that the only other choice they had was to let you pass on. You try to move but you can seem to prop yourself on your left arm. Looking to your left, you see that there is no left arm to hold you up any longer. You break down in tears knowing you’ll never again experience the track or life as before.

That’s most likely the kind of story that gave way to this concept by Tom Hylton. This two-week project was designed to offer a second chance to amputee riders. It is a two-part unit, and since we’ve recently introduced the arm into the stories, it’s now time for the bike.

The entire design includes the modular Honda robotic arm, which is specifically tuned for motorcycle use, but also this wonderous beast upon which a rider is placed.

What we are looking at is a self-balancing design that can stay upright without any sort of assistance. Behind its self-balancing trick is similar technology to the BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100. But this isn’t about BMW. It’s about how Honda could meet a need for a very niche market.

The design behind it is quite simple. As it never made it past the conceptual stages, there really isn’t much to go on. We know that the design is made for the track, so features that offer aerodynamics, strength and speed are surely in the mix.

A large and low front end leads to a lifted rear and rider position much like on a GP bike. While a low and wide bottom offers a low center of gravity to help keep the bike stable during turns.

At the front of the bike you’ll see that it feels a bit off as one of the handlebars is missing. It’s all in the works. Remember that the arm and motorcycle are designed for one another, so the area that’s missing the handlebar is designated for the arm function. One of the cool ideas behind this setup is that once the rider connects to the bike through that arm port, the bike and arm open a communications channel where an exchange of information will also affect the rider.

Based on the needed speed or angle of the rider, the arm should position itself in such a way as to optimize riders body position.

As we look at the bike we also see a long ride outline. This outline highlights the riding position. It starts up on the seat and drops down along the body to where we find grooves cut into the frame so that your knees are protected, and the body streamlined. At the rear, the feet rest on part of the frame rather that pedals.

We’re also told that the bike is designed as an EV and the rear motor is powered by a large battery hidden within the frame.

Now the design shows us that it’s meant for much more than just the track. We are shown a future where she can be ridden through snow covered hills with ice spikes.

Aug 13
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This Robotic Prosthesis Promises a New Life for Motorcycle Riders

By General Posts

by Cristian Curmei from https://www.autoevolution.com

If you’ve ever had an accident that caused you to lose functions of a certain body part, you might be able to imagine what it may be like for an amputee. A new design is looking to change all that and offers a second chance to a once lost love.

Every once in a while, a human comes along and changes the rules of the game. Out of struggle and hardship amazing designs to meet unconventional needs are born. This time, the story is about how we can continue our favorite past-time of riding motorcycles even after accidents would leave us incapable of naturally doing so.

A designer by the name of Tom Hylton, an intern at Jaguar, has designed an innovative solution for amputees who would still like to take that Sunday ride. A bionic arm bearing the Honda sigil. More so, it’s even capable of being taken out to the racetrack, on paper anyway.

This design is still a concept so I’m not sure how soon we would be seeing it on actual riders, but that doesn’t mean that it deserves any less respect. Taking into consideration that it offers the ability to continue being a rider even after a limb-losing accident, this device is one of the more promising designs around.

As you can see, the design revolves around your basic human arm, but with a few less functions. For example, the arm includes only a bicep, triceps, elbow and forearm. No palm component, that we normally use for throttling or picking things up, exists. Instead, the arm has a pincer like end that should allow it to connect to any throttle stick. So, it’s specifically made for motorcycling and nothing else.

That being said, the arm does include a few components that allow is to add to riding value. One of the downsides of non-bionic riders, for lack of a better description, is that we have flesh. And if you’ve ever experienced road rash at 50 miles per hour, imagine what it’s like at 100 or even 150 mph speeds experienced by professional riders. This is why we use and see protective gear on motorcycle equipment, to help us from losing our own fleshy components.

Because the arm is robotic, it means that the materials used in its composition and build can be designed with specific purposes. And that’s what happens here as well. Due to the possible use of materials such as carbon fiber and even titanium, the forearm and elbow design was created in such a way as to act as a protective component. Meaning if you need to take a turn a bit sharper than usual, just lean into it and use the arm as a skid plate.

Another trick this robotic arm has up its inexistent sleeve is that it’s modular. The arm itself can be used separately. The first piece, the forearm, can be used as a standalone prosthetic for amputees that have had a trans-radial accident.

The second and third piece, the elbow and bicep prosthetic, is to be used by trans-humeral amputees. This modular ability allows for the prosthetic to be suitable for other forearms that may be needed to perform different functions other than riding a motorcycle. This further extends it’s applicability and suitability to meet market needs.

Let’s be real here, if Honda ever puts anything like this into production, it won’t just be given away for free. It is a product, and products need a market, or in this case, to meet a market need.