Enhanced safety and more infotainment for powered two-wheelers was Bosch’s formula for success at the CES 2017 Innovation Awards. On November 10, 2016, the judges honored the company’s motorcycle systems with a total of three awards. A rider information system that replaces a traditional instrument cluster with a display impressed the judges twice, becoming a winner in the In-Vehicle Audio/Video category and an honoree in the Vehicle Intelligence category. In addition to that, a connected safety solution for small motorcycles and scooters made it to the winner’s podium – it too was declared an honoree in the Vehicle Intelligence category. “With its dedicated connectivity solutions, Bosch makes motorcycles safer and more convenient,” says Manfred Baden, President of the Car Multimedia division at Robert Bosch GmbH.
Infotainment on the vehicle display
The rider information system, known as the Integrated connectivity cluster, combines all the motorcycle’s instrumentation on a single display and makes it possible for riders to use their smartphone. The advantage of this is that the system automatically adapts the display to current usage. That means the rider is shown only the information needed at that particular moment. This in turn reduces distraction, thus enhancing safety. So, for example, at high speeds, all the display information elements with the exception of the speed indicator and warning notifications are gradually hidden. The display is easy to read in all weather conditions. Even in direct sunlight, the colors are distinct and the contrast is very high; and in the dark the display does not dazzle the rider. What is more, it endures rain.
Regardless of whether the user wants to select some music or answer a call, it is possible to operate all the main smartphone functions using a handlebar remote control during the ride without ever having to handle the device directly. After one-time initial pairing, the system connects immediately via Bluetooth to the smartphone and helmet headset.
Enhanced safety saves lives
The connected safety solution, known as the Lean connectivity unit, connects the smartphone to small motorcycles or scooters via Bluetooth. The product was developed in India with a clear focus on the needs of users in the Asia/Pacific region. After all, braking control systems for powered two-wheelers, like ABS and MSC, are still only a rarity there. And so, the number of road traffic fatalities among riders of powered two-wheelers continues to rise. Analyses of accidents in Indonesia and Thailand have shown, for instance, that approximately 21,000 people die in motorcycle accidents in these two countries every year. India will for this reason make ABS a legal requirement for all new motorcycle types from 2018 and will be one of the first newly industrialized countries to take this step.
The main components of the Lean connectivity unit are a handlebar remote control, a box for establishing the connection to the smartphone, and an app. If the driver has fallen off the motorcycle or scooter, the app automatically sends a text message containing the coordinates of the accident to a predefined emergency contact. In situations in which the rider feels unsafe, the handlebar remote control can be used to send an emergency call. In this case too, a previously defined emergency contact is alerted via a text message. The emergency call transmits the vehicle’s position at regular intervals. The Lean connectivity unit also allows users to unlock the vehicle via their mobile phone. Using the corresponding app, the owner can furthermore share a smartphone “key” and so, for instance, allow other family members to use the vehicle too. Telephone functions are an option as well, allowing the user, for example, to set the Lean connectivity unit to reject calls automatically when the vehicle is moving.
The CES Innovation Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM and honor the best products at CES every year in advance of the show. The CES Innovation Awards are awarded in 28 categories. In addition to the motorcycle systems, a new line of highly efficient and app-controllable gas tankless condensing water heaters for the residential and commercial buildings was also honored in the Home Appliances category. In 2016, Bosch already won a CES Innovation Award for its neoSense product, a touchscreen with haptic feedback.
EXPERIENCE BOSCH at the CES 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.: At CES 2017, Bosch will show how the Internet of Things is getting personal – turning things into partners. Connected technology enables personal assistance across all domains of people’s lives: improving mobility, shaping the life in the cities of the future, making homes smarter, healthcare more efficient and working holistic. Exhibiting at CES for the fifth year, Bosch will introduce an extended portfolio of solutions that are “simply.connected.”
BOSCH PRESS CONFERENCE: Wednesday, January 4, 2017, 9:00 – 9:45 AM (local time) with Werner Struth, member of the board of management of the Bosch Group at Mandalay Bay Hotel, South Convention Center, Ball Rooms B, C & D
FOLLOW Bosch’s CES 2017 highlights on Twitter: #BoschCES
BOSCH BOOTH: Thursday until Sunday, January 5-8, 2017: Central Hall, #14128
BOSCH EXPERTS AT PANELS:
Thursday, January 5, 2017; 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (local time): Conference track “MEMS & Sensors: Personalizing Consumer Technology”, Session “Where are Consumer Electronics Taking the Sensors Industry?” with Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO and General Manager, Bosch Sensortec; Venetian, Level 4, Marcello 4501
Friday, January 6, 3:30 – 4:30 PM (local time): Conference track “Vehicle Technology”; Session “Redefining the Automotive Infotainment Experience” with Torsten Mlasko, , Managing Director Bosch SoftTec GmbH, Las Vegas Convention Center N258
Mónika Hack
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Mobility Solutions is the largest Bosch Group business sector. According to preliminary figures, its 2015 sales came to 41,7 billion euros, or 59 percent of total group sales. This makes the Bosch Group one of the leading automotive suppliers. The Mobility Solutions business sector combines the group’s expertise in three mobility domains – automation, electrification, and connectivity – and offers its customers integrated mobility solutions. Its main areas of activity are injection technology and powertrain peripherals for internal-combustion engines, diverse solutions for powertrain electrification, vehicle safety systems, driver-assistance and automated functions, technology for user-friendly infotainment as well as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, repair-shop concepts, and 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 375,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2015). The company generated sales of 70.6 billion euros in 2015. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology.
The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing and sales network covers some 150 countries. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. Bosch employs 55,800 associates in research and development at 118 locations across the globe. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to deliver innovations for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.”
Additional information is available online at www.bosch.hu