Ducati: the bike with front and rear radar will arrive in 2020

Ducati has always been attentive to the safety sector both in terms of the riders who choose the red and the vehicles themselves, so much so that the Borgo Panigale motorcycle manufacturer has dedicated a real research and experimentation plan. This plan, projected until 2025, will see important innovations, intended to further improve safety when riding a motorbike. Ducati has long shown great attention to this topic, being the only motorcycle manufacturer in the world to have a motorcycle in its range that communicates with the D|air system integrated into the jacket, as well as being the first and only company in the sector to mount the 'ABS Cornering on a post-heritage segment motorcycle: the Scrambler 1100.

One of the most innovative projects that the Bolognese company has been working on for some time concerns new systems AREAS (Advanced Rider Assistance Systems), one of these will soon have its first application on series motorcycles. Advanced assistance systems can significantly increase the level of motorcyclist safety thanks to the use of various sensors, including radar. The latter are able to reconstruct the reality surrounding the motorbike, helping to prevent possible collisions with obstacles or other vehicles by alerting the user. Ducati began working on this type of system as early as 2016, in collaboration with the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of the Polytechnic of Milan. The study led to the development of a warning system based on a rear radar, capable of identifying and reporting any vehicles positioned in the blind spot (i.e. the part of the road not visible either directly or through the rear-view mirror), or the approaching from behind vehicles at high speed. To underline the technical-scientific value of the research project carried out jointly by Ducati personnel, researchers and graduate students from the Polytechnic, a patent application was filed in May 2017 relating to the control algorithms of this system, while in June a Publication was presented Scientific on the occasion of the IEEE – Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV) in Redondo Beach, California.

During 2017, Ducati selected a top-level technological partner to bring this system into production, completing the package with a second radar sensor positioned at the front. The purpose of this device will be to manage the adaptive cruise control, allowing you to maintain a certain distance from the vehicle in front, which can be set by the user, and warn you of the risk of frontal impact in the event of distraction. All these systems, together with an advanced user interface that will be able to warn the rider of any dangers, will be available on a Ducati production motorcycle starting from 2020. The first concrete step of this Ducati strategic line, defined internally Safety Road Map 2025, is already underway and involves progressive extension to the entire range ofBosch Cornering ABS. This system raises active braking safety to the highest levels. If a standard ABS guarantees control of tire grip losses during braking only when the motorcycle is completely straight, the more advanced Cornering version allows total control of grip during braking even when the motorcycle is bent, practically excluding the risk of falling when cornering. this delicate driving phase. To confirm this policy, Ducati has also introduced Bosch Cornering ABS in the Scrambler family, fitting it on the top of the range motorcycle: the 1100.