EICMA, the renowned International Two-Wheeler Exhibition at Rho Fiera Milano, celebrated 110 years as the most important event for motorcycle enthusiasts and the industry. This annual event in Italy showcased the latest innovations in motorcycles and accessories, attracting industry leaders worldwide.

At EICMA 2024, POLYN joined more than 600,000 attendees to explore advanced safety solutions in wearable airbag technology for motorcyclists.

POLYN is developing the next generation of NASP chipsets, designed to integrate seamlessly with airbag activation systems in helmets and jackets. These chipsets can analyze sensor signals instantly, detecting falls and triggering airbag inflation, offering vital protection for riders in accidents.

POLYN talked with several top manufacturers of wearable airbag technology. These conversations highlighted our goals in reducing energy consumption to extend battery life, miniaturizing components for better integration, and enhancing fall detection accuracy through machine learning. Current airbag systems offer around 24 hours of battery life. POLYN’s new solution would significantly increase that.

The solution could be used with other POLYN products for activity detection to provide better rider environmental awareness and increased accuracy by fusing different sensor signals.

While most wearable airbags are applied in vests and jackets, there was rising interest at EICMA in integrating airbags directly into helmets.  Protecting the rider’s head is crucial, and POLYN’s NASP solution could play a key role in advancing this aspect of rider safety.

While significant strides have been made in rider safety, there is always room for improvement. Protecting the rider’s lower body is also essential in the motorcycle world, where 98% of all accidents result in injuries, often to the lower body. Motorcycle airbag jeans were presented for the first time at EICMA this year, a step in the right direction. However, they activate mechanically only when the rider is physically separated from the motorcycle, although severe injuries may happen to the rider’s lower limbs while still seated. This highlights the need for fall detection improvements, a challenge POLYN addresses with Neuromorphic Analog Signal Processing.

POLYN is flexible regarding potential collaboration models, respecting each partner’s intellectual property. Options range from developing tailored neural network models based on existing data to adapting the neural networks developed by partners for partner-specific NASP architectures.

EICMA 2024 highlighted the opportunities for POLYN to contribute to the motorcycling safety ecosystem. Continued innovation in wearable airbags, personal activity detection, and smart tires will advance rider safety and reduce fall-related injuries.

It is worth noting that the same solution could enhance safety in other industries, such as working at heights in construction or fall detection in elderly people.