Automotive parts manufacturer Bosch has announced a new color screen that is planned to be used in motorcycle applications in the near future. The color screen is designed to replace a motorcycle’s instrument cluster and has the capability to display many different motorcycle related parameters to a rider during operation. This is the world’s first dedicated instrument panel screen that has been designed specifically for motorcycle use. The screen is 10.25 inches in size and features high-density pixel pitch and full-color on the display. Screens such as this have been implemented in automotive applications for years, and have come in very handy for displaying pertinent information to the driver that is easy to read. In addition, digital displays have proven to be cheaper and easier to produce than mechanical dial-based instrument clusters. The very first OEM application of Bosch’s new display will be BMW’s 2021 R 1250 RT motorcycle. The display will feature information based upon the rider’s custom configuration. Customization of the display is software based, and can be easily linked to Bosch’s smart phone application, called mySPIN. The mySPIN application will allow riders to custom configure what is displayed on the screen while riding. Additional features of BMW’s R 1250 RT motorcycle include a rain, snow, and adverse weather proof compartment for storing a rider’s smart phone while riding, also providing wireless charging to the smart phone while the motorcycle is in operation, or the option to charge wired through a USB port. A survey taken by Bosch indicates that 9 out of 10 motorcycle riders uses their smart phone to plan their ride ahead of time, including the use of map based GPS routes. The Bosch display could potentially allow real-time GPS maps to be displayed to the rider. These types of features allow Bosch’s screen to truly become a small computer-based display that will allow riders to safely observe the functionality of their machine while keeping eyes on the road as much as possible, therefore making riding safer.
-taken from www.sae.org