Honda’s Active Rider-Assist Bodywork

[Admin]

Honda is working on solutions to reduce rider fatalities by 2050. Informing the rider when automated systems intervene is part of the puzzle it’s trying to solve. (Honda/)

With the advent of radar and camera-based safety solutions for motorcycles already a reality and work well underway on active steering-assist systems, manufacturers are facing a growing need to find new ways to keep riders aware of what their bikes are doing on their behalf. Honda’s latest approach to the problem is to use active bodywork sections that push against the rider’s inner thighs—not only alerting them to the intervention but helping them adopt a more suitable position on the bike at the same time.

Patents filed in Europe show a CBR1000RR sportbike fitted with movable panels where the rider’s knees grip the sides. These have a simple rotary actuator behind them and hinges along their upper edges, allowing them to flap outward with a considerable amount of force when the actuator is triggered.

You might, quite understandably, ask why Honda wants to do that. The answer lies in the array of rider-assist systems that the company is already working on. We’ve previously written about work Honda is doing on steering-assist and lane-keep-assist for motorcycles, as well as radar and camera systems to create a complete “autopilot” style system. This is an added element to those ideas, created to overcome an essential issue of keeping the rider informed. After all, a safety system that can intervene in a bike’s braking and steering—which is exactly what Honda is working on—has the potential to create more problems than it solves if the rider is taken unawares and thrown off balance by the bike’s automated actions.

Related: Honda Blind-Spot Protection

A view of the top of the motorcycle shows where the panels would deploy from, indicated by 72L and 72R. (Honda/)

The mechanical panels acting against the rider’s inner thighs on Honda’s latest design are a proposed solution to that problem. The idea is that when the servo-operated steering assist system kicks in, for instance to push the bike back on course if the rider isn’t concentrating and starts drifting into the adjoining lane, the pads move. In that instance, if the bike steers left, the pad on the left-hand side pushes outward, increasing the rider’s grip on that side of the tank and pushing his or her leg to the left to alter the center of gravity a fraction, helping the maneuver. The same system could also be instructional, helping riders learn to position their weight during corners.

A servo beneath the bodywork would push a hinged panel out to inform the rider that the bike is actively intervening with rider assist. But would also help the rider position their body for that intervention. (Honda/)

When connected to a radar or camera-based adaptive-cruise control or accident mitigation system, the pads both push out together when the bike brakes on its own—another thing that could be unnerving and unbalancing for an unsuspecting rider. By pushing both pads out, the idea is that the rider’s overall grip on the sides of the tank is increased, as well as giving an immediate, tactile alert that the bike is putting the brakes on. The patent also suggests the system would be connected to the hazard lights, flashing them when it auto-brakes.

Although it’s unlikely that Honda is about to put a system like this into production anytime soon, it’s increasingly clear that the company is developing an integrated suite of rider assists including auto-steering and auto-braking. Honda’s stated intention is to end traffic collision fatalities involving its motorcycles or cars by 2050, and bikes that can intervene when riders make bad decisions or simply aren’t paying attention look to be a key part of achieving that goal.

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[geofferz]

2050?! Bikes will be outlawed by then, or every road will be 20mph so no one will want to ride. In the uk at least.