Ducati is continuing to lead the safety push as it is the first OEM to equip a model, the Ducati Scrambler 1100, with an intelligent cornering system. Pushing the level of safety awareness, combined with a constant drive towards innovation, have led the Bologna-based manufacturer to define its safety strategy until 2025.
Ducati’s ARAS (Advanced Rider Assistance Systems) will increase rider safety levels via a number of sensors, including radars, which are able to provide feedback on the surrounding environment – helping to prevent possible collisions with obstacles or other vehicles by alerting the rider.
Ducati started developing these systems as early as 2016, in conjunction with the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of the Politecnico di Milano University. The study has led to the development of a warning system based on a rear radar, able to identify and point out vehicles present in the “blind spot” (i.e. the section of the road not visible either directly or in the rear-view mirror), or traffic approaching at high speed from behind.
To highlight the technical and scientific value of this research project, developed by Ducati employees, University researchers and undergraduates, in May 2017 a patent application was filed concerning the system control algorithms, and a Scientific Publication was presented at the IEEE – Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV) on June 11-14, 2017, at Redondo Beach, CA, USA.
The first actual step of this strategy called “Safety Road Map 2025” has already been implemented and includes the progressive extension of Bosch ABS Cornering to the whole product range. This system enhances active braking ensuring top-level safety. If standard ABS ensures control of tire grip loss during braking only when the motorcycle is traveling in a straight line, the more advanced Cornering version allows full braking grip control even when cornering, effectively ruling out the risk of falling during the delicate corner-entry phase. Ducati has confirmed its safety strategy value by introducing the Bosch ABS Cornering system also in its Ducati Scrambler family – fitting it to the top-of-the-range version, the 1100.
Ducati also introduced the only motorcycle in the world able to interact with the Airbag jacket back in 2014, the Multistrada 1200 D|air. This system, now available on Ducati’s Multistrada 1260 D|air, is designed to deploy in just 45 milliseconds (much faster than a stand-alone system), protecting both the rider’s and passenger’s exposed body parts by absorbing impact forces via an airbag expertly built into the rider’s jacket by Dainese.
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