AUTOMATION AND CONNECTIVITY
Connectivity on a wider and broader scale will enable more services and further the efficiency of the existing ones. The Internet of Things (IoT) is increasingly making its presence felt in various fields, including logistics. The availability of tools to assist with and further connectivity is where a major portion of focus is. Infrastructure development will have a major role to play as, without it, there will only be more limitations. The development of various tools and services to increase connectivity and grow the umbrella of activities that can be included is in full swing. Bosch have a number of solutions in that respect.
automotive Cloud suite
Any good connectivity software requires seamless integration into a system to be successful. With the Cloud Suite, Bosch will deliver what will be the centrepiece of connected mobility, allowing riders and drivers to access a growing database of information related to everything from online parking to various travel and route information, and even their smart homes, all while on the road.
Connected Parking
‘One-third of traffic is caused by people looking for a parking space’. These words resounded in many ears. Fact? Certainly. Parked vehicles, with double-parked vehicles waiting for an opening, do nothing but clog up the flow of traffic, wasting many minutes, growing to even hours in some metropolitan areas, especially on a rainy day. Having connected parking will reduce some of the inconvenience, whether community-based, valet-based, or even with a parking lot. Bosch solutions for connected and automated parking save both time and fuel, making them something to look forward to.
hd Maps and radar road signature
Another significant step towards creating a driverless motoring future, ‘Radar Road Signature’ is a major tool in the development of extremely high-resolution and high-definition digital maps for automated driving. Bosch have tied up with noted Dutch map and traffic giant, TomTom, as well as AutoNavi, Baidu and NavInfo in China. A front-running supplier of technology and services, they have become the first, worldwide, to create a localisation layer using radar signals — indispensable for maps like these. Thus far, video data was used for this purpose.
Bosch’s ‘Radar Road Signature’ consists of billions of individual reflection points formed everywhere that radar signals hit — crash barriers and road signs, for example — and reproduce the course a road takes. Automated vehicles and other vehicles with access to the data on the cloud can then use the map to determine their exact location in a lane down to a few centimetres. The radar information only transmits five kilobytes of data to the cloud per kilometre — half as much as a comparable video map.
Motorcycle Cluster with Infotainment
Incorporating a slew of functions and making them easy to access is something every manufacturer would like to have on their motorcycle – especially when a lot of electronic kit is on board. When you have eight-level traction control, three-level ABS, and a selection of rider modes, together with satellite navigation, and, in some cases, even Bluetooth, telephone connectivity, and audio, it makes sense to have one easy-to-use interface that can take care of it all, and Bosch’s Motorcycle Cluster with Infotainment does just that.
abs for e-bikes
Electric-pedal bicycles, or ‘pedelecs’, are getting increasingly popular in Europe. Bosch have introduced a production-ready anti-lock braking system (ABS) for e-bikes. This system prevents the front wheel from locking up as well as the rear wheel from lifting, significantly reducing braking distance as well as the risk of going over the handlebars, apart from falling off entirely, of course.
Motorcycle abs
With a growing number of motorcycles and the need for greater safety ever increasing, Bosch have released ABS10 for motorcycles, much smaller and lighter as compared to ABS 9. The engineers have managed to reduce the weight of the ABS unit by about 30 per cent, while size has dropped by about 45 per cent. The focus was also on reducing costs. The system is now suitable for use on motorcycles below 250 cc.
The need for ABS cannot be denied. When viewed practically, there are several instances where a motorcycle may actually be slowing down to make a blind left turn, only to be greeted by the sudden entry of a child or an animal, leading to
panic braking and instant lock-up. The possibility of gravel or a low-traction surface being there — at that very moment — cannot be ruled out either. It doesn’t matter if you have a 90-cc 50-kg scooter or a 200-kg 200-PS supersport bike, you need ABS in that situation to come away unscathed.
Motorcycle stability Control (MsC)
MSC is a form of ESP (Electronic Stability Program) for motorcycles. With a sensor monitoring several parameters, including lean angle, wheel speed, and throttle position, the system can instantaneously intervene and adjust braking and acceleration, especially when braking or powering out while turning, preventing the chance of a lowside righting itself under braking; where a majority of accidents occur.
digital shield
Motorcycle-to-car communication plays a key role in reducing accidents. With the right equipment, one-third of accidents would be reduced. Digital Shield enables vehicles within a radius of several hundred metres to exchange information about vehicle type, speed, position, and direction of travel — as often as 10 times per second. This means that other road-users linked to the App are warned long before the motorcycle comes into sight.
eCall
A technology previously seen in many new cars has made it to the two-wheeler sphere. With eCall, the onboard computer can detect when the motorcyclist is involved in a crash and automatically place a call to the emergency services about the type of vehicle and its position. This is all possible thanks to advanced intelligent crash algorithms.
CouP e-scooter sharing
The sharing of e-scooters is one way of reducing traffic simply by bringing down the number of vehicles needed on the road. The COUP e-scooter sharing service by Bosch has seen 1,600 e-scooters on the road, with more on the way. The pilot project began in Berlin, and is now also available in Paris.
At the end of it all, the target is stress-free mobility, as much as accident-free mobility, achieved using advanced vehicle-tovehicle communication systems that are easily available on modern two-wheelers, such as the motorcycle cluster with infotainment. With proper planning and investment in the right technology and infrastructure at the right time, we could get there one step at a time.