With the intent of reducing motorcycle fatalities to zero in 2050, Yamaha reveals more details about its Advanced Motorcycle Stabilisation Assist System (AMSAS). Part of its Jin-Ki Kanno x Jin-Ki Anzen Safety Vision, Yamaha wants to create a world free of accidents for its customers.
Unveiled last year, AMSAS stabilises a vehicle’s attitude at low speeds by controlling drive forces and steering forces. This is achieved by the use of motor actuators attached to the front wheel and handlebars.
A Yamaha R25 is used as as base for the AMSAS prototype, equipped with a 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) along with drive and steering actuators. The system enhances the stability of the motorcycle when starting off or at low speeds.
“When starting or stopping, the drive actuator fitted to the front wheel aids with stability, and from there up to about 5 km/h, the steering actuator attached to the handlebars takes over,” said AMSAS Project Leader Akitoshi Suzuki. Currently at mid-development stage, the AMSAS prototype can move at walking speeds without falling over or requiring input from the rider.
The AMSAS technology is an extension of Yamaha’s research and development into rider assistance for motorcycles, shown previously in demonstrators like Motoroid and production bikes like the Tracer 9 GT+ radar-linked Unified Brake System. “From here on, we’ll be working to downscale the sizes of the various components and so on, as we want to develop it into a platform not just for motorcycles, but one also adaptable to a wide range of other personal mobility applications, like bicycles,” Suzuki said.