Self counter steering Goldwing?

[Obo]

The premise is to have a bike that know's when things are going wrong and try to self correct for the save.

It's an interesting idea, if it works as it should.

Self counter steering Honda Gold Wing patent revealed

A patent has been found that shows Honda is working on an advanced steering system that can counter-steer the bike is it slides

www.visordown.com

A small servo is attached from the frame to the bars, like a steering dampener. Based on ECU info it would try and correct the condition to save your bacon.

 

[Ron]

How often would this device come into play? Seems like more un-needed complications and a solution in search of a problem.

 

[Larry Fine]

As a devout counter-steerer, I would be concerned with feeling a bike fighting my steering input.

The tail-wagging Honda video is also interesting:

This Honda motorcycle can stay upright all by itself!

With the help of a gyro sensor and rear-wheel swing mechanism (that makes it looks like it’s wagging its tail) the Honda stays upright!

www.visordown.com

 

[Chris09]

I would never have that; it's the slightest touch that makes the difference between life and death; in fact I cringe at all the accessories that people attach onto their bikes; every now and then I have to remind a passenger to not rest their head against my helmet, I'm doing the maintenance on mine this weekend, the first order is the front end, getting rid of everything that interferes with balance and equilibrium.

 

[jfheath]

It is possibly nothing to do with wanting to introduce this, but rather that if others want to, then no one else can use the idea without paying.

 

[Chris09]

I think you might have nailed it jf; a million monkeys at a million laptops, trying to avoid going to [or ever doing any] work, again, ever.

 

[Ron]

It is possibly nothing to do with wanting to introduce this, but rather that if it is possible, then no one else can use the idea without paying.

I can see this as the thinking.

Honda used to do a lot of design and engineering to the point of over complicating something. Engineering to seemingly see if it can be done. Not so much now as 20 or so years ago.

 

[jfheath]

Well it makes sense for a company that prides itself on imaginative and creative engineering ideas. If they come up with something that they may find use for at some point. Otherwise someone else will think of it and then they cannot use it, or they have to pay to use it. And who knows where the self drive trend will go.

There is a terrifying video of someon on a motorcycle taking a right hand corner and failing - turning right, but the bike not leaning so weight is thrown left so he has to turn left to correct. Wobbling into the path of an oncoming vehicle (USA roads). You cannot see exactly what is happening, but we are all thinking - push on the right bar to lay it over. I wonder if this device would have helped, or if he would have tried to correct the sudden unexpected lean to the right and ended up in the same place.

 

[Upt' North]

It's nothing new, is it? The motorcycles we ride and the cars we drive, to a greater or lesser extent, have safety systems to help us go from A to B safely. Brakes are applied without our consent to maintain control of the vehicle in fairly routine situations, at least in cars. The steering is turned to maintain our position within the lane.
This could well be Honda tying up loose patent ends, maybe not. But if it is introduced it won't be long before someone pronounces they don't know how they ever rode without it, just like DCT, ABS, TCS, CABS etc. It's how all gadgets are sold, introduce a new screen, quicker processors, more user friendly etc.
As long as they've got two wheels who cares?
Upt'North.

 

[catcher]

Hmm, I still think an on board coffee maker would be well received.

 

[schlep1967]

Funny, I just read a report about an automaker coming up with basically the same thing for when a car goes into a skid. Don't remember which automaker it was. And they called it "drifting".
Honda does like to carry technology from auto's to bikes.

 

[Uncle Phil]

It's technology like this that's gonna put all those poor driver ed teachers out of work, I'm telling you!
You just toss the keys to a kid and say 'Tell the vehicle where you want to go and sit back'.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

Cool invention. But....I still prefer my vehicles stupid.
When you lean the bike, you counter steer a bit. Takes conscious effort to turn and keep the wheel parallel with the frame.
Last week, I had the rear wheel of the 2006 break loose as I was leaving our neighborhood. T intersection...slightly uphill on the road to a stop sign, slightly downhill after the stop sign, kind of like a little ridge where the roads intersect. The rear tire broke loose when I was just over the little crest while leaning into a right turn. Turned the wheel slightly to the right stopping the rear end's slide to the right and she stood up straight, pointed in the proper direction....feet up and still in my lane. All this in just a second or so, my responses were near autonomic. I'm going to chalk it up to years of experience and not dumb luck although either could describe what happened.
I have found that most 'smart' systems currently on the market or in development are created to perform to a specific norm and they don't consider all possible outcomes, or all appropriate responses...especially to less likely events. Not yet, anyway. For the time being, I prefer to make my own decisions.

 

[tonythecarguy]

Much like ABS, these kinds of systems will act reliably/consistently when the rider has a moment of inattention or surprise. The IMU doesn't get inattentive; it's never tired, distracted, competitive or whatever else makes us human. In the case of a rear end slide that, uncorrected, turns into a high side I would be in favor of this catching it early before it becomes unsavable. Maybe my "automatic/muscle memory" actions can save stuff (most of the time) that is happening in the time frame of a second, but these systems act in the millisecond time frame.

I'm not so arrogant to say "I will never make a mistake, oh but if did I will always save the bike, so I don't need this." I don't mind having a backup plan.

I can think of a high-side I would have liked for this system to have saved.

 

[sherob]

It takes me a few seconds every time I start my Audi to disable this and enable that... it's almost annoying the amount of nannies you have to turn off, and sport mode to turn on to enjoy driving. My Camaro SS/1LE was almost as pure a driving experience as you could get these days... but you still had to disable 2 nannies to have total control of it, TC and Stabilitrack, by holding down a button for 7 seconds... for those of us who remember how to drive without TC, ABS, and all of those things. I'm not saying technology isn't great... but there's times where technology isn't needed or wanted.

Next up, three wheeled Scooters for all!

 

[diferg]

this "self-counter steering" will be obsolete when Honda introduces the autonomous (self-driving) motorcycle!

 

[SMSW]

A small servo is attached from the frame to the bars, like a steering dampener. Based on ECU info it would try and correct the condition to save your bacon.

I would rather save my own butt than have a servo try to save my bacon.

It's technology like this that's gonna put all those poor driver ed teachers out of work, I'm telling you!
You just toss the keys to a kid and say 'Tell the vehicle where you want to go and sit back'.

So, the driving test of the future will be how well the kid tells the car where to go and to not park in front of the hydrant? Pardon me...the car knows not to park there....

 

[Al st1100]

I'm sure it would be tested at MOTOGP first.

 

[ad.hom]

As long as they've got two wheels who cares?

Careful what you wish for...