Yamaha says it is about half way through the development of AMSAS (Advanced Stabilization Assist System), which aims to greatly reduce the risk of a low-speed crash.
Last year, Yamaha Motor announced its Jin-Ki Kanno x Jin-Ki Anzen Safety Vision, which aims to create an accident-free world. The three pillars of the approach are: 1) technology that helps with driver recognition, assessment, control and damage mitigation, 2) skills, where we drive the improvement of users’ driving skills, and 3) connectivity, which uses the cloud to provide feedback for safety initiatives.
Motorcycle accidents are mainly attributed to recognition errors (10%), decision errors (17%) and operator errors (5%) on the part of the rider. Data also shows that about 70% of motorcycle accidents occur within two seconds of the trigger leading to the accident.
Based on these accident cause analyses, Yamaha Motor is developing driver aids based on four vectors: assisted hazard prediction, damage prevention and assisted defensive driving, assisted evasive driving and damage reduction.
Unveiled last year, AMSAS stabilizes a vehicle’s attitude at low speeds by controlling propulsion and steering forces. “The most distinguishing feature is the approach of using parts that can be bolted onto existing models, as no modifications to the frame are required,” says project leader Akitoshi Suzuki.
The prototype system under development uses a production YZF-R25 for its platform and is equipped with a 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) along with drive and steering actuators.
AMSAS is a rider aid that focuses on the instability a motorcycle experiences when starting off or when traveling at low speeds and works to improve the stability of the vehicle during these times.
“When starting or stopping, the drive actuator mounted on the front wheel provides stability, and from there up to about 5 km/h, the steering actuator on the handlebars takes over,” explains Suzuki. The coordination of the two allows the AMSAS prototype to travel at walking pace without tipping over, regardless of the skill level of the rider on board.
Yamaha Motor once made headlines when it unveiled the MOTOBOT – an autonomous motorcycling humanoid robot – and MOTOROiD, a proof-of-concept experimental motorcycle equipped with AI and self-balancing technology. “The R&D for AMSAS started with the idea of bringing the technologies and know-how gained through the development of these two models to customers around the world,” says Suzuki.
Jun Sakamoto, who handles safety strategy at Yamaha, explains the value AMSAS aims to provide: “It is to create conditions where the rider can concentrate more on controlling their bike, so that everyone can enjoy the feeling of being one with your machine. By providing assistance when the bike is more unstable and requires skill to operate, we aim to provide fun rooted in peace of mind to a wide range of riders.”
Yamaha has set a goal of zero motorcycle fatalities by 2050 and is stepping up its efforts along the three pillars mentioned above: technology, skills and connectivity. AMSAS is a technology that Yamaha believes has the potential to become a critical tool for the rider when used in conjunction with other technologies.
“With the basic technologies in place, we are halfway through our goal of bringing the value of AMSAS to customers,” said Suzuki. He and the team have high ambitions for the technology: “From now on, we will work on reducing the size of the various components and so on, because we want to develop it into a platform not only for motorcycles, but also for adaptable to a wide range of other personal mobility applications, such as cycling.”
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.