Munich. BMW Motorrad will be displaying two innovations at the Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on 6-9 January 2016. Laser light for
motorcycles and a helmet with a head-up display will be presented, setting new
standards of motorcycle safety, along with a technical outlook of how they may
be employed in series models of the future.
BMW K 1600 GTL concept vehicle with BMW Motorrad laser light.
See and be seen has always been one of the central axioms of safe
motorcycling, for which reason BMW Motorrad has long since dedicated itself to
the continued development and optimisation of motorcycle lighting units. Over
the years, this has seen the introduction of adaptive headlights for riding in
curves, LED daytime running light and dynamic brake light in BMW motorcycles.
And like so often, the development was able to benefit from synergy effects with
BMW automobiles.
In the case of the K 1600 GTL concept vehicle presented here, the BMW
Motorrad laser light is derived from a design from the automobile division of the
BMW Group. The innovative laser technology is already available in the new
BMW 7 Series as well as in the BMW i8. BMW Motorrad has now adapted this
technology – which is as established as it is forward-looking – for motorcycling
applications. Not only do laser light headlamps generate a particularly bright and
pure-white light, but they even achieve a high-beam range of up to 600 metres,
which is double that of conventional headlights. The safety of night-time riding
has now increased significantly as a result, due not only to the increased range
but also to the precise illumination of the road. Moreover, the laser technology
has a very long service life, thanks to its compact, robust and maintenance-free
construction.
BMW Motorrad laser light has been incorporated in the K 1600 GTL concept
vehicle as a feasibility test. BMW Motorrad is testing the use of this headlamp
technology in series vehicles in the course of its preliminary development.
At the moment, the technology is still too cost-intensive for use in motorcycles.
However, it is expected that the economies of scale resulting from their largescale
use in the automobile industry will result in a price structure with a clear
downward trend. Its use in motorcycles could might then be imaginable in the
medium term.
Head-up display helmet: road information always in your sights.
In road traffic, it only takes a fraction of a second or a brief distraction to put the
rider in a dangerous situation. In 2003, BMW became the first European
automobile manufacturer to introduce a head-up display as optional equipment
for BMW automobiles.
The BMW head-up display projects necessary or desirable traffic or vehicle
information directly into the rider's field of view, allowing him to maintain constant
observation of the traffic on the road, with no distraction. This would appear even
more important with motorcycles than it is with cars, because it can sometimes
only take a brief visual distraction to put the rider in a critical road situation.
With a view to offering this technology in motorcycles of the future, a predevelopment
process was conducted in which a BMW Motorrad helmet was
fitted with an innovative head-up display function. This enables the projection of
data directly into the rider's field of view. This means that the rider no longer has
to glance at the instrument panel and he is able to concentrate fully and without
distraction on the road traffic.
All displays are freely programmable; ideally, to provide the best-possible
support for rider safety, only information that is helpful and relevant to the current
situation should be displayed to the rider at any given moment.
Safety and comfort information for an even more emotionally charged
riding experience.
The display options comprise safety-relevant information, for instance data
relating to the technical status of the motorcycle, such as tyre pressure, oil level and fuel level, travel speed and selected gear, speed limit and road sign
recognition, plus warnings of impending dangers.
By means of the future V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) communication, it might also be
possible to display information in real time, for example to give due warning of
any suddenly impending hazards.
Moreover, the head-up display also allows the visualisation of content designed
to increase rider comfort. An example would be the planned route along with
navigation advice prior to commencing a journey.
The helmet with head-up display also offers interesting possibilities for making
the highly emotional experience of motorcycle riding even more intensive and at
the same time safer. For instance, an action camera pointing forwards, located
inside the helmet, can record video footage of the journey directly from the
helmet. A second camera oriented towards the rear could at some point in the
future perform the function of a 'digital rear-view mirror'. And last but not least,
this technology also enables the visualisation of other riders in a motorcycle
group. This enables the rider to see where his companions are at any given
moment.
The helmet, which is also fitted with an integrated mini-computer and
loudspeakers, is controlled from the left-hand handlebar fittings using the BMW
Motorrad multicontroller. As well as operating the camera, this allows the rider to
comfortably select the information he requires.
The necessary information display technology can be integrated in existing
helmets, without affecting either wearer comfort or rider safety. The operating
time of the system with the two replaceable batteries is around five hours.
BMW Motorrad wants to develop this innovative technology to series-production
level within the next few years, thus adding a further safety feature to its already
wide range of rider equipment.
Press materials on BMW motorcycles and BMW Motorrad rider equipment can
be found in the BMW Group PressClub at www.press.bmwgroup.com.
The BMW Group
With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, the BMW Group is the world's leading premium
manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility
services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 30 production and assembly facilities in
14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2014, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.118 million cars and 123,000 motorcycles
worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2013 was € 7.91 billion on revenues
amounting to approximately € 76.06 billion. As of 31 December 2013, the BMW Group had a
workforce of 110,351 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible
action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the
value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving
resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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