It’s only been a year since the first radar-equipped bikes started to reach customers but already there are new companies starting to supply the tech.
Over the next couple of years radar is set to become the must-have tech on bikes and with fresh faces like Israel’s Vayyar coming into the market, the scene is set for a tech tussle that will encourage rapid improvement.
While Bosch supplied the first front and rear-facing radars fitted to production bikes, with Ducati, BMW, KTM and Kawasaki adopting the German kit, we’re already seeing more firms getting in on the action.
Triumph’s new Tiger 1200 GT Explorer and Rally Explorer have rear-facing radars supplied by Continental, and as we reported last year, Piaggio are set to reveal their first bikes using Vayyar’s radars.
Vayyar’s kit is somewhat different from the Bosch system that’s laid the template so far and is described by the firm as '4D' – it uses far more antennae than a normal radar, generating a high-resolution 3D 'point cloud' image of the world around it and using Doppler analysis, the measurement of distortion in the reflected radar waves caused by movement, to establish the relative velocity of objects it detects.
The greater number of antennae means the Vayyar radars have a 170-degree field of view both horizontally and vertically, which is significantly wider than the radar cone of more traditional systems.
The vertical coverage and wide field of view are particularly useful on bikes as it means the sensor won’t lose track of an object as you tip into a corner.
The system also claims a much longer range than the market-leading Bosch radar, with Vayyar’s system picking up targets as far as 300m away, compared to 160m for the Bosch front radar. That’s potentially important, as bikes can’t use the sort of automated emergency braking systems seen in radar-assisted cars.
Motorcycle brake-assist can’t be aggressive, as it might throw the rider off, so being able to spot potential dangers at a greater distance and provide warnings or automated assistance earlier is a valuable benefit.
Vayyar say the system, with both front and rear radars, can support blind spot detection, lane change assist, adaptive cruise control, front and rear collision warning and rider brake assist and costs the same as existing radars (for reference, the Bosch front radar option on BMW’s R1250RT costs £500).
Long vision Up to 300 metres – vital for brake-assist or early warning systems so as not to cause panic reactions from riders.
Wide angle Around 170-degrees of coverage per radar, both horizontally and vertically, means two units (one front, one rear) give nearly 360-degree coverage.
More antennae There are up to 48 antenae rather than the seven in most automotive radars – using WiFi-style MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology to track multiple targets, and Doppler analysis to work out their velocity and direction of movement.
Small but affordable Safety kit is no good if it’s only fitted to the most expensive, unattainable bikes, but Vayyar say their radars are low-cost and small enough to be fitted unobtrusively and affordably, even on scooters.
Staying on target Current radars like the Bosch MRR (Mid-Range Radar) monitor up to 32 objects but Vayyar say their system can keep track of an unlimited number of targets.
When cats arch their backs, elephants spread their ears, frogs puff up their throats or cobras spread their hoods they’re all doing one thing: making themselves look bigger than they really are. And that’s precisely what motorcycles of the future may try to do when mingling with autonomous cars.
Since radar is the dominant technology being used in driver assistance systems and for the sensor arrays of the next generation of self-driving cars, the trick will be to give bikes a larger radar cross-section than they really have, allowing them to be sensed at a greater distance.
