Motorbikes smarter than us?

[GazzaH]

A blog piece about Honda patenting a bike that senses and responds to the rider's emotional state (https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/news/2019/september/honda-emotion-linked-motorcycle-safety-system) set me thinking today.

'Smart vehicles' are already here in the form of computerised engine management systems and the like, but there's a LOT more to come yet. As with the the Internet of Things, networking between the computers within vehicles (e.g. linking engine, fuel, emissions, safety, security monitoring management and maintenance systems, plus those handling passenger comfort, navigation, entertainment and phones) is set to expand to networking between vehicles and other IoT things (e.g. for collision avoidance, synchronised convoys, fuel efficiency, smart roadsigns, even smart catseyes and - perhaps - emotional status sensors), with Internet connectivity, naturally.

In parallel with that, there's the autonomous self-driving robotic vehicle stuff going on, oh and electric vehicles with various power sources. Plus who-knows-what in the way of technological innovations currently under wraps, and the social changes happening around us (not all beneficial!).

Where's it all going? And is that the way we want to go?

Hmmmmm, I'm not sure. How 'bout you?

[FJRider]

So ... no overtaking, random wheelies, running a yellow/red light, Compulsory stopping at stop signs and Give way's (???), all speed restrictions observed and extra speed limited roads that are dangerous (like narrow winding roads).

An on-board transponder that uploads any details of illegal action you make directly to the police (Your bank account debited automatically).

Yep might work ...

[OddDuck]

Collision avoidance - especially the vehicle pulling out in front of the biker - hell yes.

The rest of it is best avoided as far as I'm concerned. I reckon the West has a real blind spot about complicated technology, particularly computers and software... more tech, more data, more - whatever - equals convenience and organised and efficient and therefore good.

Yeah. When it works.

When connectors get glitchy, when software gets corrupted, when one tiny thing goes wrong and knocks the whole lot down, that's the other side. Weird faults that can't be traced, error messages written in Klingon, factory software resets that cost big time. Replacing red ignition keys. Mysterious engine warning lights anyone? And that's just what we've got now. The stuff described, this whole IoT movement, that's a whole new level of stuff going wrong. Promises versus delivery and real-world experience, in short.

At some point you've got to ask if we're solving more old problems than we are introducing new ones.

[GazzaH]

I agree with both of you ... and yet new technology is not entirely bad news.

Safety has come a long way since iron horses were first imagined, and I'm sure the advances will continue - mostly through technology.

At some point, though, as the safety tech grows ever stronger, the weakest link becomes undeniable: it's us, the people, particularly the drivers. So guess where that's going.

[Kickaha]

I think a lot of people on here already own motorcycles smarter than they are

[Laava]

So ... no overtaking, random wheelies, running a yellow/red light, Compulsory stopping at stop signs and Give way's (???), all speed restrictions observed and extra speed limited roads that are dangerous (like narrow winding roads).

An on-board transponder that uploads any details of illegal action you make directly to the police (Your bank account debited automatically).

Yep might work ...
A wagging finger and tut-tutting noise on sensing you are about to do something dodgy? That'd be great!

[neil.]

or a helpful copper "turning off" your bike if you do a runner? or maybe if they just don't like you, or......

[sidecar bob]

I think a lot of people on here already own motorcycles smarter than they are

Your MHR was smarter than you even after it dropped a valve.;)