Honda Patents Blind Spot Monitors for Motorcycles
Honda has filed a patent for a warning system that will notify a rider of approaching vehicles such as a car in a blind spot. The system would use a combination of cameras and millimeter wave radar to detect objects such as other vehicles and provide visual and tactile warnings if a rider attempts a turn or lane change in the same direction.
The sensors maintain a constant 360-degree scan of a motorcycle’s surroundings, detecting when vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles are approaching. When the rider activates a turn signal to indicate a lane change or turn in the same direction as an obstacle, the system provides some tactile feedback by adding resistance to the turn signal switch.
The patent also calls for a visual indicator showing where the obstacle is relative to the motorcycle. The indicator will either be built into a bike’s instrument panel or be a separate device that can be mounted to the upper triple clamp, making it easier to produce as an optional accessory.
The patent also describes a number of small haptic feedback motors (like the ones that make your smartphone vibrate when you type) that can be mounted to a handlebar grip, foot peg, seat cushion or a fuel tank’s knee dents (illustrated by the dashed ovals in the diagram above). These motors can create small vibrations in the direction of a detected object, providing a tactile warning.
Honda used a VFR1200F for the patent illustrations, but the technology can be adapted for other models.
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