Bosch’s motorcycle crash detection automatically alerts emergency services
Bosch has launched a new emergency call system called Help Connect, which can automatically call for assistance when it detects accidents. Unlike similar emergency services that cater to cars, however, Help Connect is meant for motorcycles. In its announcement, Bosch explains that “[t]he risk of being killed in a crash is still 20 times higher for motorcyclists than for car drivers” and the quicker a motorcyclist receives assistance, the greater their chances of survival.
Help Connect relies on the inertial sensor unit that’s part of the Bosch MSC motorcycle stability control. That sensor measures a motorcycle’s acceleration and angular velocity a hundred times a second, giving Help Connect information about the vehicle’s current position and angle of lean.
The service also relies on the sensor’s integrated crash algorithm to determine whether a motorcycle truly got into an accident or whether it just fell over, for instance. If Help Connect decides that a vehicle got into an accident, it will transmit information about the scene and the rider to the Bosch Service Center. In severe accidents, the service could use the rider’s phone to find their location and direct emergency responders to the scene.
Help Connect will initially be available in Germany, Bosch’s home country, only. According to Autoblog, though, the company plans to expand its availability to other markets at a later time.
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