Motorcycle shows wouldn’t be motorcycle shows without technology—and especially not EICMA. That’s why Hitachi Astemo announced its plans to bring the firm’s first-ever Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) with a stereo camera setup to the 2022 EICMA show in November.
For those unfamiliar, Hitachi Astemo is a joint venture between Hitachi and Honda Motor Corporation, which also integrates Keihin, Showa, and Nissin Kogyo. The “Astemo” part of its name stands for “Advanced Sustainable Technologies for Mobility,” working in the field of connected autonomous sharing and electrification (or CASE) as it applies to the entire connected automotive industry.
That’s important, because to be successful, ADAS systems must take the needs of multiple kinds of road users into account—including motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Hitachi Astemo plans to show off its first take on an ADAS system that utilizes a stereo camera to better see things like motorcycles. It also uses a deceleration assist control system to slow the vehicle and avoid crashes.
Additionally, Hitachi Astemo’s motorcycle ADAS can simultaneously control driving, turning, and stopping, by linking the three major systems of the bike together—powertrain, suspension, and brakes. Input from the stereo camera presumably isn’t the only factor, but it’s certainly an important factor that Hitachi Astemo wants to draw attention to.
It’s unclear at this point whether radar or lidar systems may also be involved at some level, to give a more complete picture of what’s going on around a given vehicle. However, presumably that will become clear as EICMA opens its doors to the press and the public.
Although the ADAS system is clearly the headliner for 2022, Hitachi Astemo also plans to show off a range of additional Keihin, Showa, and Nissin advancements that it says will improve fuel efficiency, lower emissions, cool brakes more efficiently, and provide better braking technology to a larger number of users at a lower cost.
Unsurprisingly, when you have a cooperative arrangement involving this many moving parts, it’s clear that Hitachi Astemo has its fingers in many pies. We look forward to seeing what it has to bring to the table at this year’s EICMA presentation.
