Soon You'll Be Able To Talk To Your Energica

Hey, Ego, switch off wheelie control!

By: Dustin Wheelen

Feb 23, 2021 at 1:53pm ET

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Hands-free devices are the pinnacle of convenience for motorcyclists. Prominently featured in and headsets, voice commands help riders multi-task without removing their hands from the controls. Whether it’s updating the navigation’s directions, making a phone call, or simply changing your favorites tunes, hands-free communication can be a lifesaver.

Luckily, premium electric motorcycle manufacturer Energica feels the same and is working on a rider-to-motorcycle system including voice commands. In collaboration with smartphone accessories leader Cellularline and telecommunications company Alascom, the AI project will be developed for Energica’s fleet with the potential to expand to other electric vehicles. The system will sync Cellularline-Interphone products and Alascom’s mobile phone app to create a communication protocol between the user and the motorcycle.

“Artificial intelligence is a rapidly growing trend, especially in the interaction between rider and vehicle,” said Energica Motor Company CTO Giampiero Testoni. “We have been pursuing innovation for years also in this field in order to offer to our customers a state-of-the-art product that is both useful and responsive. Thanks to this innovative communication protocol, the rider can easily find information on his/her vehicle without distractions. For the development of this project, we relied on industry leaders such as Cellularline and Alascom”.

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While the Alascom app will be front and center during the development, the system will also accommodate Android and Apple users with OK Google and Hey Siri integration. The main function of the system is the rider-to-motorcycle commands, but the bike will also relay messages to the user.

Built-in, hands-free tech implementation in motorcycles could be a major leap forward. Gone could be the days of navigating through menus to adjust settings. Wouldn’t it be great if you could engage cruise control, switch ride modes, or turn off rear ABS with a quick voice command? Of course, the project is in its infancy and has a way to go, but we can wait to see how it performs when it’s ready.