In the Fast Lane: How Motorbike Makers are Redefining Motorcycle Safety with 4D Imaging Radar

Demand for two and three-wheeled transportation is growing exponentially. Accelerating urbanization, the rise of the courier economy, and even a desire for socially distanced transport have led to a rapid increase in the number of motorbikes and scooters on the streets of Europe and the Americas, as well as the moped-packed megacities of Asia. 

But the danger to riders is also rising, with a 15-21% increase in motorcycle collisions and fatalities over the past decade. Yet the most at-risk road users currently receive the least regulatory and technological protection. Motorcycle safety has remained essentially unchanged for forty years. The landmark Hurt Report inspired only a series of training and education programs and even today, there’s no equivalent of NHTSA or Euro NCAP standards for two-wheelers.

Because most motorcyclists travel at high speeds, frequently engage in lane-sharing, and lack the security of a roof or cabin, there’s a clear and growing need for split-second sensing that prevents collisions. For leading OEMs as well as top Tier 1s, the rising popularity of motorcycles and rapid advances in sensing technology present an unprecedented opportunity to evolve new systems that improve rider safety and protect lives.

To achieve their aims, a rapidly growing number of bike makers including Piaggio Group are drawing inspiration from the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) at the forefront of automotive safety and automation to create a new generation of Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS) based on cutting-edge sensor technology. 

On the face of it, the requirements of both vehicle classes are identical: applications such as Forward and Rear Collision Warning (f/rCW, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and Automatic Brake Assist (ABA), as well as Blind Spot Detection (BSD) and Lane Change Assist (LCA). 

But ARAS must also meet the specific safety needs of motorcyclists while addressing a number of unique engineering and deployment challenges.

When equipping motorbikes with ARAS, OEMs, and Tier 1s must consider the following issues:

• Higher acceleration speeds and longer stopping distances demand lightning-fast responses to prevent riders flying off their bikes if they brake suddenly.

• The widest field of view is required, enabling ARAS sensors to deal with rider behaviours such as lane-sharing and undertaking. Combining this feature with advanced algorithms that fuse sensor data with the Inertial Measurement Unit allows an ARAS system to effectively tackle high tilt angles involved in cornering at speed. 
• The longest possible range is a must to avoid throwing the rider off guard — or off balance — with a sudden alert that arrives a split-second too late, while false positives run the risk of creating “alert fatigue” that could cause the motorcyclist to ignore a warning.

• Limited installation options are a challenge, both in terms of where sensors can be positioned and the available real estate in those locations. OEMs must also account for line-of-sight interferences caused by accessories - such as cargo boxes - that can obstruct a sensor’s field of view.

Cost-efficiency is a key concern since the profit margins on two- and three-wheelers are significantly lower than on passenger vehicles.

Compared to other sensor categories such as LIDAR, ultrasonic and ToF radar, 4D imaging radar provides the optimal price-performance balance, with high-resolution data, robustness in all weather conditions and an attractive price point.

Vayyar, the global leader in 4D imaging radar, provides the industry’s first and only mass-production 4D imaging radar ARAS platform, scheduled for launch in early 2022.  It delivers the exceptional safety enabled by Vayyar’s best-in-class ADAS offering, simultaneously supporting numerous applications across all ranges with unrivaled multifunctionality on a single-chip platform. 

With true positive detection and tracking of all static and dynamic targets up to a range of 140m (readily adaptable to 300m) riders can count on both timely alerts and reliable autonomous preventative measures.

The 76-81 GHz platform contains all RF analog and digital components, with a compact form factor suited to PCB designs as small as 75x65mm. Ultra-high-resolution imaging over 4D point cloud data is enabled by up to 46 Tx/Rx ports. Built-in signal processing includes filters such as floor removal, tilt angle subtraction, and turn radius estimation for lane trajectory calculation.

Vayyar’s Radar-on-Chip offers an unparalleled field of view, with customized antenna design of up to 170 degrees on the azimuth and elevation planes to cope with the highest tilt angles. Just two sensors with a single Vayyar RFIC at the core of each – one sensor on the front and one on the back – offer 360° coverage of the motorbike's surroundings. This FoV also supports accurate depth perception and height obstacle detection, enabling specialized applications such as Lane Change Assist, Collision Warnings, Adaptive Cruise Control, Rider Brake Assist and more.

The automotive-grade RFIC system is AEC-Q100 and ASIL-B compliant, and also supports emerging system requirements via over-the-air updates. Motorcycle OEMs and Tier 1s can rapidly create new applications by leveraging a full reference design, low-level algo and ARAS-optimized software.

As the world’s leading motorbike makers seek to maximize profits from a rapidly expanding market, they know they must also step up to the challenge of delivering optimal safety. That’s why split-second sensing supported by Vayyar, the global leader in 4D imaging radar technology, is on track to save countless lives around the world.  For more information, talk to our ARAS specialists.

When looking at the new Muster 2.0 drill process in the context of Royal Caribbean’s digital transformation, it is a natural development for a company striving to reduce passenger friction on board.

“The innovative programme is the first of its kind and reimagines a process originally designed for larger groups of people into a faster, more personal approach that encourages higher levels of safety,” says Royal Caribbean’s vice president of sales Ben Bouldin for Europe Middle East and Africa.

Over the last few years reducing friction has been the focus of Royal Caribbean’s digital department and the goal of the Royal app, which, among other features, allows guests to avoid queues by finding out information and booking dinner tables, activities, excursions and shows online.

In 2018, at the launch of Symphony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s senior vice president of digital Jay Schneider explained to Future Cruise that building guest products that “get people out of lines and let people enjoy their vacation first and foremost” has been one of his main missions.

Recently he said that: “Muster 2.0 represents a natural extension of our mission to improve our guests’ vacation experiences by removing points of friction.”

Schneider and Nick Weir, the senior vice president of entertainment at Royal Caribbean were instrumental to the development of Muster 2.0. Weir is behind some of the most original and innovative entertainment experiences guests can have at sea and has successfully mixed and transitioned formats and blended technology into traditional structures, such as turning an on-board ice rink into laser tag, back again into an ice show with synchronised drones and moving image effects such as those that transform the ice into an emotive Arctic whale scene.

“The safety drill has always put a pause on the cruise experience, and I felt like it could be more efficient,” explains Nick. When he was a cruise director he explains how he was responsible for the welcome party as well as drill announcements which always brought a halt to the fun as guests were starting to enjoy themselves.

“I happened to be outside on one hot, sweaty day during the drill, and I thought why not put it all on a device so it can be done individually and monitored? Technology naturally played a big part, location services on smartphones is essential, and a big team at Royal Caribbean came together to make it happen.”

When looking at the new Muster 2.0 drill process in the context of Royal Caribbean’s digital transformation, it is a natural development for a company striving to reduce passenger friction on board.

“The innovative programme is the first of its kind and reimagines a process originally designed for larger groups of people into a faster, more personal approach that encourages higher levels of safety,” says Royal Caribbean’s vice president of sales Ben Bouldin for Europe Middle East and Africa.

Over the last few years reducing friction has been the focus of Royal Caribbean’s digital department and the goal of the Royal app, which, among other features, allows guests to avoid queues by finding out information and booking dinner tables, activities, excursions and shows online.

In 2018, at the launch of Symphony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s senior vice president of digital Jay Schneider explained to Future Cruise that building guest products that “get people out of lines and let people enjoy their vacation first and foremost” has been one of his main missions.

Recently he said that: “Muster 2.0 represents a natural extension of our mission to improve our guests’ vacation experiences by removing points of friction.”

Schneider and Nick Weir, the senior vice president of entertainment at Royal Caribbean were instrumental to the development of Muster 2.0. Weir is behind some of the most original and innovative entertainment experiences guests can have at sea and has successfully mixed and transitioned formats and blended technology into traditional structures, such as turning an on-board ice rink into laser tag, back again into an ice show with synchronised drones and moving image effects such as those that transform the ice into an emotive Arctic whale scene.

“The safety drill has always put a pause on the cruise experience, and I felt like it could be more efficient,” explains Nick. When he was a cruise director he explains how he was responsible for the welcome party as well as drill announcements which always brought a halt to the fun as guests were starting to enjoy themselves.

“I happened to be outside on one hot, sweaty day during the drill, and I thought why not put it all on a device so it can be done individually and monitored? Technology naturally played a big part, location services on smartphones is essential, and a big team at Royal Caribbean came together to make it happen.”