Yamaha Considers Using AI for Motorcycle Safety

Yamaha Considers Using AI on Motorcycles

Yamaha Motor Co. is working on the use of artificial intelligence to enhance motorcycle safety.

The system, developed jointly with a U.S. research body, is based on the same one revealed last year that allows humanoid robots to ride motorcycles. The objective is to reduce motorcycle spills, said company President Hiroyuki Yanagi.

“We want to facilitate driving operations of our motorcycles and reduce the burden on riders to allow them to pay more attention to safety,” Yanagi said.

Yamaha hopes to reverse slumping domestic sales by adopting advanced technologies to reduce motorcycle accidents such as overturns and collisions.

“We’ll use the expertise we’ve acquired from robots for our motorcycles,” Yanagi said. “We’ll promote the development of technologies to make motorcycle driving easier.”

Although Yamaha has not decided when to put the AI-based technologies into use, the company will consider adopting them in future motorcycle models.The new YZF-R1, for example, has advanced technology that regulates its engine, brakes and suspension.