Ducati to equip motorcycles with radar by 2020

Ducati is testing future oriented radar system which is soon to be fitted to a production motorcycle.

Ducati has announced Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS), a radar-based safety system that it plans to bring to at least one of its motorcycles by 2020.  

Advanced assistance systems increase rider safety levels via a number of sensors, including radars. These, in particular, are able to provide feedback on the surrounding environment - helping to prevent possible collisions with obstacles or other vehicles by alerting the rider. Ducati started developing these systems in 2016 in conjunction with the Politecnico di Milano University.

The study has led to the development of a warning system based on a rear radar, which is able to identify and point out vehicles present in the blind spot or traffic approaching at high speed from behind. In 2017, the Italian manufacturers selected a primary technological partner to ensure system suitability for production - by completing the package with a second radar sensor positioned at the front.

The purpose of this device will be to manage the adaptive cruise control, allowing a given distance to be maintained from the vehicle in front, and warning the rider of any risks of distraction-related head-on collisions. All these systems, together with an advanced user interface designed to alert the rider to any existing dangers, will be available on one of the Ducati models coming in 2020.   

The ARAS is being developed under Ducati’s Safety Road Map 2025. The first step under this strategy was the progressive extension of Bosch ABS Cornering to the whole Ducati product range.