June 2020 - The Piaggio Group promotes funding applications for its own activities at a regional, national and European level, in a nod to the quality of its research. The projects, besides funding research, are a way to engage with partners and suppliers that can identify and develop cutting-edge technologies in the fields of most interest for Piaggio.
The following funded projects were implemented in 2019:
ADAMo (Region of Tuscany): aerodynamic research. The project developed an active aerodynamic control system for motorcycles, that can adapt aerodynamic flow based on general operating conditions and target objectives (consumption, safety, comfort, performance). The project ended in August 2019 and the results were presented to the public in October 2019.
INFO: www.cubitlab.com/en/funded-projects/adamo-project-adaptive-digital-aerodynamics-for-motorbikes
C-Mobile (H2020): smart, cooperative transport systems. Trials in real contexts (e.g. Barcelona, Bilbao, Bordeaux, Newcastle, Copenhagen, Thessaloniki) of smart, cooperative transport systems (C-ITS) that are inter-operable and can therefore be used on a wide scale. The project is being coordinated by IDIADA (the Spanish research centre), with the involvement of ERTICO.
Piaggio’s role is to provide technical support for the testing of C-ITS for motorcycles at the Barcelona site. The project started in 2017. The project is scheduled for completion for the end of 2020.
INFO: www.c-mobile-project.eu
Safestrip (H2020): road safety based on cutting-edge connectivity and sensors. SDevelopment of a low-cost, low energy consumption system based on micro and nano sensors incorporated into the road surface in order to collect information (e.g. on road conditions, environmental parameters, traffic data etc.) and alert car and motorcycle users to potential hazards, through vehicle/infrastructure communication.
The project started in March 2017 and will end in 2020.
INFO: www.safestrip.eu
PIONEERS (H2020): passive protections systems for motorcyclists. The project is being coordinated by IDIADA, with leading manufacturers of protective clothing taking part (including Dainese, Alpinestar, Motoairbag), as well as universities and research centres (University of Florence, Fraunhofer, BASt). Piaggio is involved in the design and development of a vehicle onboard protection system to reduce minor injuries from low-speed, side impact. The project began in 2018 and will last for 36 months.
INFO: www.pioneers-project.eu
The European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC) is the European Technology Platform (ETP) for Road Transport. ERTRAC is recognized and supported by the European Commission.
Future Radar (H2020): medium/long term research topics. The project is a Coordination and Support action, which aims to provide support to the European Commission in the definition of the guidelines and areas for research in the road transport sector, in view of the upcoming Horizon Europe Framework Programme. Piaggio is involved in the project as the main player for the two-wheeler sector. The project will end in late 2020.
INFO: www.ertrac.org/index.php?page=future-radar
DriveToTheFuture (H2020): the role of motorcycles in cooperative and automated transport. The project aims to analyse the needs, expectations and behaviour of active and passive users in the current mobility and connected, cooperative and automated transport scenario, considering different transport modes (road, rail, water and air).
Piaggio is taking part to define the role of 2-wheelers (opportunities and limits) in this context and is studying alternatives to interaction with automated vehicles, with a particular focus in interfaces for vehicles (HMI). The project started in May 2019.
INFO: www.drive2thefuture.eu
SAFE (CEF): regulations for emergency calls. The “SAFE - After-Market eCall for Europe” project will define the standards and specifications for developing and introducing aftermarket emergency call (eCall) systems for the automotive industry. Piaggio is taking part together with other manufacturers and ACEM, the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, to evaluate the eCall specifications (Technical Standards) defined by the competent European group CEN/WG15 for L category vehicles (including scooters and motorcycles), with testing involving PSAP (Public Safety Answering Points) and alignment of the specifications based on the results obtained. The project is the natural continuation of activities conducted in the I_HeERO project (which ended in March 2018).
INFO: safe112.eu/about-ecall
Source: Piaggio Group Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2019. The report is available here:
piaggiogroup.com/piaggiogroup.com/en/csr/csr-reports
