Unlike cars, the risks associated with riding motorcycles are apparently higher due to inherent challenges.
Motorcycles rely on the rider’s constant input and weight distribution to maintain balance and navigate turns. And while cars can rely on airbags and crumple zones to mitigate damage in case of accidents. Motorcycles, however, offer little to no such protection for the rider in case of a fall.
First Motorcycle with a Sense of Sight
However, over recent years, more manufacturers are turning to technologies such as AI and machine learning to introduce active safety features in motorcycles – a quest that has now led to the inception of “the world’s first motorcycle equipped with the sense of sight” by Verge Motorcycles.
The electric superbike maker Verge announced on Monday that it has stepped up its flagship TS Ultra model with advanced features that leverage AI technology and hardware components to boost user safety.
Verge’s TS Ultra now features six cameras and high-resolution radars at both the front and rear. Fused with AI technology, the bike analyses its surroundings and advises the rider on approaching vehicles, lane changes, and other potential hazards on the road.
“[…] By improving the rider’s ability to observe the environment and the functions of the bike with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The TS Ultra’s new cameras, combined with the software update announced today, make it the world’s first motorcycle equipped with the sense of sight, advising the rider, and acting as a ‘whisperer’ while riding,” said Verge’s CTO, Marko Lehtimäki.
In addition to the AI-powered safety feature, the bike was also equipped with a larger tank-top display, allowing for a better view of the camera views and overall improved usability and navigation of the bike’s functions, per the report.
Plugging AI in Vehicles to Protect Lives
Not just for motorcycles, AI technology is making immense strides across the automotive industry to improve the safety of users. One can argue that almost every latest vehicle has one or more safety technologies to warn and curtail damages in the case of road accidents.
It’s unarguable that the ongoing advancements in technology and the potential benefits of increased safety and traffic efficiency will continue to drive the development of active safety features in vehicles, potentially reducing death occurrences around the world due to road accidents.
