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Press release #Connected mobility
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Digital protective shield: when motorcycles and cars talk to each other

New Bosch technology could prevent nearly one-third of all motorcycle accidents

  • Connecting bikes and cars ensures motorcycles’ digital visibility
  • Dirk Hoheisel: “We are creating a digital protective shield for riders.”
  • Riders are 18 times more at risk of being killed in an accident than drivers
  • Bosch development project with partners Autotalks, Cohda Wireless, and Ducati
Joern Ebberg

Joern Ebberg

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Stuttgart, Germany – The first warm days of the year mark the start of motorcycle season – and, unfortunately, a rise in the number of road accidents. Motorcyclists are among the most at-risk road users, 18 times more at risk of being killed in an accident than drivers. Last year, there were approximately 30,000 motorcycle accidents in Germany alone, roughly 600 of which were fatal. One of the main reasons is that riders of two-wheelers are often overlooked in road traffic, both at intersections and during passing. Bosch wants to change that. With its partners Autotalks, Cohda Wireless, and Ducati, it has developed a prototype smart solution. “We let motorcycles and cars talk to each other, creating a digital protective shield for riders,” says Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, a member of the Bosch board of management. The goal is to prevent dangerous situations from occurring in the first place.

We let motorcycles and cars talk to each other, creating a digital protective shield for riders.

Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, a member of the Bosch board of management

Connectivity could prevent nearly one-third of motorcycle accidents

According to estimates by Bosch accident research, motorcycle-to-car communication could prevent nearly one-third of motorcycle accidents. “Through safety systems such as ABS and motorcycle stability control, Bosch has already made riding a two-wheeler significantly safer. By connecting motorcycles, we are taking safety to the next level,” Hoheisel says. Here is how it works: up to ten times a second, vehicles within a radius of several hundred meters exchange information about vehicle types, speed, position, and direction of travel. Long before drivers or their vehicles’ sensors catch sight of a motorcycle, this technology informs them that a motorcycle is approaching, allowing them to adopt a more defensive driving strategy. For example, typical dangerous situations arise when a motorcycle approaches a car from behind on a multi-lane road, ends up in a car’s blind spot, or changes lanes to pass. If the system identifies a potentially dangerous situation, it can warn the rider or driver by sounding an alarm and flashing a warning notice on the dashboard. In this way, all road users receive essential information that actively helps avoid accidents.

Vehicles exchange information within just a few milliseconds

The public WLAN standard (ITS G5) is used as the basis for the exchange of data between motorcycles and cars. Transmission times of just a few milliseconds between transmitter and receiver mean that participating road users can generate and transmit important information relating to the traffic situation. Parked or idling vehicles also transmit data to any surrounding receivers. To allow riders and drivers who are farther away to reliably receive the necessary information, the technology makes use of multi-hopping, which forwards the information automatically from vehicle to vehicle. In critical situations, therefore, all road users know what is happening and are able to take appropriate action in advance.

Video on motorcycle-to-vehicle communication:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfn5sbUqHig

Mobility is the largest Bosch Group business sector. In 2023, its sales came to 56.2 billion euros, or just under 60 percent of total Group sales. This makes the Bosch Group one of the leading mobility suppliers. Bosch Mobility pursues a vision of mobility that is safe, sustainable, and exciting. For its customers, the outcome is integrated mobility solutions. The business sector’s main areas of activity are electrification, software and services, semiconductors and sensors, vehicle computers, advanced driver assistance systems, systems for vehicle dynamics control, repair-shop concepts, as well as technology and services for the automotive aftermarket. Bosch is synonymous with important automotive innovations, such as electronic engine management, the ESP anti-skid system, and common-rail diesel technology.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 429,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2023). The company generated sales of 91.6 billion euros in 2023. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. With its business activities, the company aims to use technology to help shape universal trends such as automation, electrification, digitalization, connectivity, and an orientation to sustainability. In this context, Bosch’s broad diversification across regions and industries strengthens its innovativeness and robustness. Bosch uses its proven expertise in sensor technology, software, and services to offer customers cross-domain solutions from a single source. It also applies its expertise in connectivity and artificial intelligence in order to develop and manufacture user-friendly, sustainable products. With technology that is “Invented for life,” Bosch wants to help improve quality of life and conserve natural resources. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. Bosch’s innovative strength is key to the company’s further development. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 90,000 associates in research and development, of which nearly 48,000 are software engineers.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com.

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