Modern traction control systems have a somewhat magical quality in their ability to react to slips and regain control of a motorcycle faster than it takes time to say, but they all face the same problem: they react to a loss of grip but cannot predict it. At least, not yet.
BMW's latest patent shows that the company is working on a method to solve this problem, by creating a system that analyzes the road to judge the available grip, adapting the traction control and ABS systems of the motorcycle before even if it does not reach this portion of the road. The magic of electronics.
The unique patent image shows how multiple cameras are aimed at the road a few meters from the front wheel of the motorcycle, recreating a real-time 3D image of the bitumen surface detail. Believe it or not, the idea is that the system can interpret how rough the road is, compare the images to reference values for similar surfaces, and adjust the motorcycle's settings before the front tire reaches that level. road area.
In addition, it is a system that works by learning. The setup also includes acoustic sensors aimed at the contact patch of the front and rear tires, listening for changes in sound that might reveal a different surface or loss of grip.
The complexity of the system is such that the control unit is also fed with real-time information, including tire pressure and characteristics (the type of tire – from slick to enduro tire and its studs – will clearly have an impact on grip as much as the road surface), speed, accelerator position, engine torque, steering angle, lean angle and braking effort.
Don't expect to see the system appear on a production motorcycle in the near future, but the patent shows that despite the incredible capabilities of electronic aids that aim to improve safety on today's motorcycles, it is still possible to make huge improvements in the years to come.
