Honda patents camera-assisted cruise control tech
The technology being put on motorcycles has evolved tremendously over the past couple of years. Not too long ago, ABS and traction control were luxury features found only on a manufacturer’s top-of-the-line products. These days, ABS and traction control can be found even on their entry-level models.
Now, manufacturers have also put radars on some of their motorcycle models as an added safety feature. For Honda, they are toying with the idea of adding cameras to let the motorcycle “see” the road ahead.
In a recent patent filed by the Tokyo-based manufacturer, a set of cameras will be put just below the motorcycle’s headlight. The idea was to let the motorcycle see and read what’s ahead, presumably to assist with the radar for the adaptive cruise control, or warn the rider of potential dangers on the road – possibly with infrared imaging to warn the rider of potholes or debris ahead, especially when riding at night.
The patent also suggests that this system will be first used on future CRF1100L Africa Twin adventure bikes.
While the specifics of this patent by Honda are not yet available at the moment, it’s nice to see that the motorcycles we ride are becoming more and more intelligent every day. Let’s just hope that these technologies will not go so far as to take away the enjoyment of riding motorcycles.
