The Piaggio Group’s Boston-based robotics arm Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF) has developed a new path-breaking safety technology for motorcycles, the company said on Thursday.
PFF’s hardware-software modules are claimed to offer superior safety by providing robust monitoring in all environmental and lighting conditions. PFF awarded a supply contract for the modules’ Radar-on-Chip (RoC) to Israel-based Vayyar Imaging, marking the deployment of the industry's first-ever 4D imaging radar-based motorcycle safety platform. The complete sensor package has been developed, built and supplied by PFF for mass production in Piaggio Group motorcycles’ Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS).
According to the company, ARAS applications are on the front line of the battle to prevent collisions and protect motorcycle riders. The 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 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.
