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Harnessing the benefits of EU Space, the GSA-funded H-Gear project places the safety and security of motorcyclists at the top of the list

In recent years, more and more adults switch to two-wheelers. Congested cities, fuel efficiency, lower environmental impact or simply the sense of freedom while riding are some of the reasons why motorcycles are gaining ground as a favorite means of transport. The double-digit spike in motorbike sales in 2020, notwithstanding the crisis in automotive, clearly underlines this preference. Seeing this shift in transportation patterns and with motorcycles thefts soaring, the H-Gear team developed a twofold solution to provide safety and security to motorcycle drivers by relying on EU Space technology, in particular that of Galileo. 

An anti-theft service inspired by Galileo connected to your smartphone!

The consortium led by Vitrociset, Spaceexe, Antenna Provider and with the precious contribution of Honda rolled out a device equipped with sensors and a Galileo-enabled receiver that can be integrated into small/medium motorcycles. Here’s how it works:  in case the vehicle is moved, an alert message is sent to the owner of the vehicle via a dedicated mobile app. It is then up to the user to decide whether to call the authorities and intervene. The Galileo chipset in the device allows users and the authorities to track down the vehicle but also authenticate that the location is not spoofed thanks the unique Galileo Authentication Service (OS-NMA). The app offers also features such as a parking locator for forgetful riders, and acts as a dashboard storing information on the vehicle status, travelled distance, driving time and speed, and monitoring the battery status, among others.

Read also this: eCall: 2 years of saving lives

Security hand in hand with safety

April 2018 marked the entry into force of the eCall, becoming mandatory in all newly produced car models across the Union. eCall is automatically activated as soon as in-vehicle sensors detect a serious crash. Once activated, the system dials the European emergency number 112 and establishes a telephone link to the appropriate emergency call centre. By speeding up emergency response times by 40% in urban areas and 50% in the countryside, it is estimated that eCall could help prevent 2,500 road deaths and save EUR 26 billion every year.

Tapping into the success of the European initiative eCall - an automatic system activated as soon as in-vehicle sensors detect a serious crash, and dialing the European emergency number 112 - the consortium integrated the eCall technology on a Honda motorbike. Once the H-Gear device detects a hard fall, the mobile app is activated, and a menu opens up with the options ‘’SOS Call’’ ‘’Cancel’’ and ‘’Service Center’’. Should this be a light fall and the biker is able to continue their journey, they can simply dismiss by tapping “I’m OK’’.

The mobile app will wait for the user to respond and will not automatically call the emergency services. If the user does not reply within 1 minute, the app will alert the Service Center and an operator will contact them. Failing to respond to the operator’s call, the emergency services will be alerted. The rider’s emergency contacts (provided while setting up the app profile) will also be notified about the incident location as an additional security layer. 

“The characteristics that our clients are looking for are reliability and durability of the motorcycle, with particular attention to safety”, says Francesco Simone, Technical Quality Manager in Honda Italia. “In the future, the eCall and Anti-theft system will integrate perfectly in this evident customer´s need for enhanced protection’’ he concluded.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Harnessing the benefits of EU Space, the GSA-funded H-Gear project places the safety and security of motorcyclists at the top of the list

In recent years, more and more adults switch to two-wheelers. Congested cities, fuel efficiency, lower environmental impact or simply the sense of freedom while riding are some of the reasons why motorcycles are gaining ground as a favorite means of transport. The double-digit spike in motorbike sales in 2020, notwithstanding the crisis in automotive, clearly underlines this preference. Seeing this shift in transportation patterns and with motorcycles thefts soaring, the H-Gear team developed a twofold solution to provide safety and security to motorcycle drivers by relying on EU Space technology, in particular that of Galileo. 

An anti-theft service inspired by Galileo connected to your smartphone!

The consortium led by Vitrociset, Spaceexe, Antenna Provider and with the precious contribution of Honda rolled out a device equipped with sensors and a Galileo-enabled receiver that can be integrated into small/medium motorcycles. Here’s how it works:  in case the vehicle is moved, an alert message is sent to the owner of the vehicle via a dedicated mobile app. It is then up to the user to decide whether to call the authorities and intervene. The Galileo chipset in the device allows users and the authorities to track down the vehicle but also authenticate that the location is not spoofed thanks to the unique Galileo Authentication Service (OS-NMA). The app offers also features such as a parking locator for forgetful riders, and acts as a dashboard storing information on the vehicle status, travelled distance, driving time and speed, and monitoring the battery status, among others.

Read also this: eCall: 2 years of saving lives

Security hand in hand with safety

April 2018 marked the entry into force of the eCall, becoming mandatory in all newly produced car models across the Union. eCall is automatically activated as soon as in-vehicle sensors detect a serious crash. Once activated, the system dials the European emergency number 112 and establishes a telephone link to the appropriate emergency call centre. By speeding up emergency response times by 40% in urban areas and 50% in the countryside, it is estimated that eCall could help prevent 2,500 road deaths and save EUR 26 billion every year.

Tapping into the success of the European initiative eCall - an automatic system activated as soon as in-vehicle sensors detect a serious crash, and dialing the European emergency number 112 - the consortium integrated the eCall technology on a Honda motorbike. Once the H-Gear device detects a hard fall, the mobile app is activated, and a menu opens up with the options ‘’SOS Call’’ ‘’Cancel’’ and ‘’Service Center’’. Should this be a light fall and the biker is able to continue their journey, they can simply dismiss by tapping “I’m OK’’.

The mobile app will wait for the user to respond and will not automatically call the emergency services. If the user does not reply within 1 minute, the app will alert the Service Center and an operator will contact them. Failing to respond to the operator’s call, the emergency services will be alerted. The rider’s emergency contacts (provided while setting up the app profile) will also be notified about the incident location as an additional security layer. 

“The characteristics that our clients are looking for are reliability and durability of the motorcycle, with particular attention to safety”, says Francesco Simone, Technical Quality Manager in Honda Italia. “In the future, the eCall and Anti-theft system will integrate perfectly in this evident customer´s need for enhanced protection’’ he concluded.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

Harnessing the benefits of EU Space, the GSA-funded H-Gear project places the safety and security of motorcyclists at the top of the list

In recent years, more and more adults switch to two-wheelers. Congested cities, fuel efficiency, lower environmental impact or simply the sense of freedom while riding are some of the reasons why motorcycles are gaining ground as a favorite means of transport. The double-digit spike in motorbike sales in 2020, notwithstanding the crisis in automotive, clearly underlines this preference. Seeing this shift in transportation patterns and with motorcycles thefts soaring, the H-Gear team developed a twofold solution to provide safety and security to motorcycle drivers by relying on EU Space technology, in particular that of Galileo. 

An anti-theft service inspired by Galileo connected to your smartphone!

The consortium led by Vitrociset, Spaceexe, Antenna Provider and with the precious contribution of Honda rolled out a device equipped with sensors and a Galileo-enabled receiver that can be integrated into small/medium motorcycles. Here’s how it works:  in case the vehicle is moved, an alert message is sent to the owner of the vehicle via a dedicated mobile app. It is then up to the user to decide whether to call the authorities and intervene. The Galileo chipset in the device allows users and the authorities to track down the vehicle but also authenticate that the location is not spoofed thanks to the unique Galileo Authentication Service (OS-NMA). The app offers also features such as a parking locator for forgetful riders, and acts as a dashboard storing information on the vehicle status, travelled distance, driving time and speed, and monitoring the battery status, among others.

Read also this: eCall: 2 years of saving lives

Security hand in hand with safety

April 2018 marked the entry into force of the eCall, becoming mandatory in all newly produced car models across the Union. eCall is automatically activated as soon as in-vehicle sensors detect a serious crash. Once activated, the system dials the European emergency number 112 and establishes a telephone link to the appropriate emergency call centre. By speeding up emergency response times by 40% in urban areas and 50% in the countryside, it is estimated that eCall could help prevent 2,500 road deaths and save EUR 26 billion every year.

Tapping into the success of the European initiative eCall - an automatic system activated as soon as in-vehicle sensors detect a serious crash, and dialing the European emergency number 112 - the consortium integrated the eCall technology on a Honda motorbike. Once the H-Gear device detects a hard fall, the mobile app is activated, and a menu opens up with the options ‘’SOS Call’’ ‘’Cancel’’ and ‘’Service Center’’. Should this be a light fall and the biker is able to continue their journey, they can simply dismiss by tapping “I’m OK’’.

The mobile app will wait for the user to respond and will not automatically call the emergency services. If the user does not reply within 1 minute, the app will alert the Service Center and an operator will contact them. Failing to respond to the operator’s call, the emergency services will be alerted. The rider’s emergency contacts (provided while setting up the app profile) will also be notified about the incident location as an additional security layer. 

“The characteristics that our clients are looking for are reliability and durability of the motorcycle, with particular attention to safety”, says Francesco Simone, Technical Quality Manager in Honda Italia. “In the future, the eCall and Anti-theft system will integrate perfectly in this evident customer´s need for enhanced protection’’ he concluded.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

We are ready to announce the finalists in this year’s MyGalileoDrone competition. After serious deliberation, our jury has narrowed down the 30 semi-finalists to the final 10 teams still in the running for the EUR 230,000 prize pot.

From 190 submissions, 346 registered teams and 470 registered applicants, we have arrived at a shortlist of 10 teams. And so, without further ado, the finalists are:

1. Raytrack - Inspection and maintenance
2. RigiTech - Medical delivery services 
3. NAUTILUS -  Medical delivery services
4. D2X-ination -  Communication and navigation
5. TF-ATMON -  Weather monitoring
6. SOARER -  Leisure
7. Pixbrush -  Inspection and maintenance
8. Spectalight.io -  Leisure
9. PortDrone -  Port operations
10. SmartSAR -  Emergency management

“We have been very impressed by the high number and quality of proposals received by start-ups and innovators from 28 European countries,” said Fiammetta Diani, GSA Head of Market Development.

“The goal of the competition is to harness Europe’s innovative potential to deliver solutions needed by people and industry. The teams have done exactly that: from search and rescue to monitoring, maintenance and service delivery, the proposed solutions show great market potential. The GSA provided focused support to entrepreneurs to boost their business model and will continue to support them identifying first customers and match with potential investors.” she said.

For more information on the innovative applications and services developed by the 10 finalists, click here.

The final stretch

The MyGalileoDrone finals will take place on 17 February, when the 10 teams will have to perform a pre-demo of their solution and explain their strategy to bring their solution to the market to GSA board. Based on these presentations, the jury will select the four winners. The winners will be announced and awarded during Entrepreneurship Day on 2 March, where the projects will also be able to present their ideas to investors. Take a look here for more information on the selection process.

Read this: Entrepreneurship Day to showcase the most innovative Galileo-based solutions

The winning team will receive EUR 100,000, with EUR 60,000 going to the team in second place, EUR 40,000 for third place, and a fourth prize of EUR 30,000. The 10 finalists have a little over a week left to polish up their final presentations - we wish them all the best of luck on 17 February!

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).