Bosch Developing Motorcycle Crash Prevention Thrusters
Bosch is a German technology company that supplies its parts and technology to most of the automakers. It’s IMU (Inertia measuring unit) proved to be a game changer for motorcycle rider aids. Now, Bosch is working on a new technology that uses gas thrusters to prevent cornering crash. Imagine taking a high-speed corner on a motorcycle and suddenly encounter a wet patch mid-corner. Most of the experienced rider will tell you that it’s a tricky situation as the rider can slide sideways off the road.
In riding school, they teach you to reduce the lean angle and speed in such case. Also, avoid playing with throttle or brakes on the low grip area mid-corner. However, it helps to know that there is a safety aid in your motorcycle as the last safety net. Avoid this situation: Importance of good vision on a motorcycle
Check out the video demonstration of Bosch motorcycle thrusters-
As seen in the video, firstly a motorcycle without thrusters went over a gravel patch and as a result, the front tyre lost grip and skidded. In the second part, a motorcycle equipped with the Bosch trusters went over the same gravel patch. But this time the motorcycle remains stable as the thruster is fired instantaneously when the system detects danger.
Bosch says that these thrusters are similar to what car airbags use. The canister is fired by an electronic signal and the gas is expelled from a nozzle. The thrusters are said to be compact and well packaged so that they don’t protrude out too much. To know when to fire the thrusters, this system collects data from various other sensors in the motorcycle such as IMU, ABS, lean angle sensor, traction control, etc. As the video demonstrates clearly that this system can be a lifesaver. However, it is an expensive system for now and maybe economies of scale can reduce the cost. Another issue is that the gas canisters are one-time use and therefore will require replacement after its used up.
video source: Bosch
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