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Alpinestars Tech Air

  • Here’s Andrea Dovizioso testing the Alpinestars airbag suit off his bike.

  • The suit saved him and Fabio Quartararo in a horror crash in the British MotoGP.

  • The airbag works on a very sophisticated algorithm.

We wrote about how the Alpinestars airbag suit saved Andrea Dovizioso and Fabio Quartararo in a horrific crash at the start of the British MotoGP.

Alpinestars published the data recorded by both men’s suits, as well.

But in this video, Dovizioso stands in and shows how it looks like when the suit inflates. As you can see in real motion, the airbags inside the suit expand quickly in anticipation of an impact.

However, bear in mind that the airbag ECU has a sophisticated algorithm to inflate a single airbag or airbags to different capacities. The ECU also determines when is the best time to inflate.

For example, a lowside triggers the inflation of a single airbag, leaving the other as a spare. The rider may choose to carry on riding. The inflated bag will deflate in short order, as well.

At the Silverstone round however, the sensors would’ve picked up that Dovizioso was flying through the air and inflate the both bags a little later so that he’d have a softer landing. Inflating too soon would mean the airbags could be below optimum inflation.

We’re thankful that the FIM mandated that airbags are compulsory in all three classes.

Check out the video below.

  • It was airbag technology that saved Andrea Dovizioso and Fabio Quartararo when they crashed heavily at the start of the British MotoGP.

  • Alpinestars had released the Tech-Air data.

  • This type of crash would’ve resulted in permanent injuries many years ago.

It was the airbag technology that saved Andrea Dovizioso and Fabio Quartararo when they crashed heavily at the start of the British MotoGP.

Alpinestars had released the Tech-Air airbag data.

Quartararo’s airbag inflated completely within 0.060 second while he was flying in the air before his landing and absorbed the shock. It was also scary to see that his crash lasted 4.7 second. That’s an eternity in an accident.

Dovizioso’s suit data showed why he came away more banged up. The Italian’s airbag inflated completely within 0.145 second. It took longer because he was flying higher in the air.

Compare how Quartararo took one big impact to Dovizioso’s multiple impacts. Remember, it’s not how you crash but how you stop that causes the seriousness of the damage.

The Alpinestars Tech-Air system works on a complex algorithm which determines the best duration and type of inflation based on data from gyroscopes spread around the suit.

For example, a lowside crash results in the suit inflating the first stage. The rider could get back on his bike and continue as the bag will deflate itself later.

In the event of a heavier crash like this one, the algorithm fires the airbag completely.

We’re all thankful that both riders walked away without more serious injury. This type of crash would’ve resulted in permanent injuries before the advent of the airbag equipped racesuit.

We only wish the technology was more affordable to road riders.

Ves D-Air rekaan Dainese – Sumber imej: Dainese
  • Sebuah mahkamah di Jerman telah memihak kepada Dainese dalam kes saman pencabulan paten menentang Alpinestars.
  • Mereka pada mulanya telah menyaman Alpinestars pada tahun 2015 kerana menggunakan sebahagian daripada ves D-Air Dainese dalam rekaan ves Tech-Air Alpinestars tanpa bayaran untuk paten berkenaan.
  • Mereka juga turut memfailkan litigasi di Itali, UK, dan Perancis.

(more…)

  • A court in Germany ruled in favour of Dainese in their airbag patent infringement suit against Alpinestars.

  • They first sued Alpinestars in 2015 for using a part of their D-air vest in the latter’s Tech-Air vest without payment for the patent.

  • They also filed litigations in Italy, UK and France.

The Munich Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Dainese in their airbag patent infringement suit against Alpinestars (A-stars).

The case had been going on since 2015. A German court found Alpinestars had infringed on the patent previously in 2017. A-Stars brought the case to the Munich Court of Appeals and they lost again. Their next and last course of action is to refer the case to the German Federal Supreme Court.

Dainese sued A-stars in 2015 after finding the latter had copied an essential part of the D-air vest. The part was then used in A-stars’ Tech-Air airbag vests, without payment to Dainese for licensing.

Alpinestars Tech-Air vest – Photo credit Alpinestars

A-stars could well be in deep trouble, pending the German Supreme Court appeal. Dainese did not only file litigations in Germany. They also sued A-stars in Italy, the United Kingdom and France. The litigation floodgates could swing open in those countries should they lose in the German Supreme Court.

The confusion started in 2015 when Dainese released the D-air technology as an open platform as a responsibility to rider safety. This meant that other riding gear manufacturers can use the technology in their own products. But that did not mean they shouldn’t pay Dainese to use the patented technology. Unfortunately, this was what A-stars did.

So, what happens now? If A-stars loses their last appeal, German riders may not be able to keep their Tech Air vests. There’s no word of the case in other countries, so far but we’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear of something.

Source: Motorcycle-USA

 

  • Alpinestars Tech-Air telah diberi kehormatan dengan anugerah dalam kategori ‘Wearables’ pada Anugerah Inovasi Asia di Pertunjukan Elektronik Pengguna (Consumer Electronics Show) pada tahun ini.
  • Pakar kelengkapan menunggang motosikal itu merupakan calon pendahulu untuk anugerah itu di Shanghai, China pada minggu lalu di mana mereka memenanginya untuk produk inovatif mereka.
  • Terdapat dua versi yang berbeza untuk sistem Tech-Air™ mereka itu; Tech-Air™ Street yang dikeluarkan pada tahun 2014 dan Tech-Air™ Race pada tahun 2016.

(more…)

Alpinestars Tech-Air has been honoured with an award for best ‘Wearables’ category in this year’s Consumer Electronics Show Asia Innovations Awards.

The motorcycle riding gear expert was the best nominee for the award in Shanghai, China last week where they came out on top for their innovative product.

There are two distinct versions of the Tech-Air™ systems; Tech-Air™ Street which was released back in 2014 and Tech-Air™ Race in 2016.

One of the pioneers of active airbag technology for motorcycle racing suits and safety gear has been awarded at the Consumer Electronics Show Asia Innovations Awards earlier this week. The award was given to Alpinestars in Shanghai, China for the best nominee in the ‘Wearable’ category for their Tech-Air™ active airbag system. (more…)

The future of motorcycles and the motorcycling industry are slowly getting closer to a turning point which will lead to the next big thing in the two-wheeled universe.

From hybrid motorcycles to fully electric-powered bikes, the options of innovations are endless for motorcycle manufacturers.

The same can be said to the development of riding gears to ensure higher levels of safety and performance using the latest technologies.

As we head into the future, there are many folks out there whose trying their level best to embrace the inevitable and develop things that are truly extraordinary in many aspects of our lives. From the way we eat to how we travel, the future is all about improving our quality of living. (more…)

Airbags will be a compulsory gear for all riders in MotoGP starting 2018 onwards.

(more…)

New BMW Street Air Dry airbag jackets developed with Alpinestars set for October release.

(more…)

Alpinestars announces Sinar Puncak Sdn Bhd as new authorised Malaysian distributor.

(more…)

The Alpinestars vs Dainese legal saga over their respective airbag technologies continues further now with Dainese speaking out about the situation. Though Alpinestars’ response did clear up a few things, this new response from the devil-horn brand has shed even more light into the situation.

dainese-d-air-armor-platform-04

In its response, Dainese insists that legal action was taken in Germany, resulting in a Munich court granting an injunction on Alpinestars selling its Tech Air-equipped product in the German market. Dainese further highlighted that legal action is presently being processed in Italy.

alpinestars-tech-air

This counters Alpinestars’ initial response where it stated that no legal action was taken against it in Germany. However, it appears that the clarification about the patent infringement lawsuit being centred on the physical material used to produce the inflatable airbags in both the Alpinestars Tech Air and Dainese D-Air Armor remains true.

Either way, the outcome of the Alpinestars vs Dainese saga will have global repercussions on several levels indeed. Lets not forget that both brands have top-level riders in both MotoGP and WSBK donning their products, and the outcome of this battle may lead to just one side winning the rights to produce airbag-equipped riding apparels.

You can read Dainese’s response here to get where the devil horn brand is coming from in this entire affair.

Source: Asphaltandrubber

Loyal readers would remember our Alpinestars vs Dainese report we published some time last week. Just to recap, the two Italian riding apparels brands are embroiled in a legal battle of their respective airbag technologies, in which case being the Alpinestars Tech Air and Dainese D-Air Armour.

In light of the battle being reported online by a trusted source, the famed A-star brand has issued an official response to the matter, revealing the true nature of the legal battle in the process as well.

alpinestars-tech-air

The first thing made clear in Alpinestars’ statement is the fact that the infringement suit it filed for its Tech Air airbag technology patent actual concerns the material of the airbag itself and not the computer algorithm deployment during crash detection as previously reported.

To put it simply, Alpinestars is claiming that Dainese is using a similar physical material for the airbag in the latter’s D-Air suite as the ones used in the former’s rivalling Tech Air system. The consequence of this saw retailers pulling out Tech Air-equipped Alpinestars apparels and products in core markets around Europe such as Germany.

dainese-d-air-armor-platform-04

Dainese has not responded to Alpinestars’ allegations, but it is worth noting again that the rivalling devil-horn brand were the most proactive amongst the two at introducing the airbag protection technology into the mass market. In fact, Dainese have even gone to the extent of licensing its D-Air Armor technology to other brands as well.

We’ll have more as soon as the matter evolves over time, to which we expect to last quite some time indeed. In the meantime, you can read the official statement released by Alpinestars below.

Alpinestars Tech-Air Street Airbag system – Statement regarding press coverage of Patent Challenge

With reference to recent articles published about Alpinestars and Dainese being in dispute over airbag technology, Alpinestars is issuing the following statement to clarify the current situation:

Alpinestars has been subjected to an allegation of patent infringement by Dainese on a specific part of its airbag construction used in the Tech-Air Street system.

The Alpinestars’ Tech-Air Street system was launched in November 2014 as the world’s first self-contained street airbag system that independently functions without the need for sensors to be installed on the bike and the subsequent need to link a specific motorcycle to the airbag system used by the rider.

The allegations made by Dainese S.p.A in proceedings launched in Italy against Alpinestars, refer to the assembly of the bag itself, the physical material piece that contains the gas in an inflation and not with any reference to any other parts or Alpinestars’ Tech-Air street system’s use of an algorithm for registering when the airbag deployment should occur.

Dainese instead make claims that the physical construction of the bag in the Tech-Air system infringes upon Dainese’s patents.

In Germany, Dainese did make a direct request to certain retailers, that they cease and desist from offering for sale the Alpinestars Tech-Air Street system, however, no legal action has been taken against Alpinestars and neither has Alpinestars withdrawn any of its products from the German market.

All claims made by Dainese against Alpinestars and/or its retailers are disputed and Alpinestars is taking the appropriate legal measures to ensure that any such unfounded allegations will not prevent distribution and sales of the Tech-Air Street system.

Given Alpinestars’ own research & development has been undertaken through Alpinestars’ in-house Advanced Technology Department since 2001, Alpinestars is contesting the allegations made. The Tech-Air Street system is based on Alpinestars’ technology creation and the physical bag used in the Tech-Air Street system is from known airbag technology, used within the Automotive industry and does not infringe upon third parties’ intellectual property rights.

Alpinestars continues to distribute Tech-Air technology for the benefit of all motorcyclists throughout Europe and the rest of the world and trusts that the allegations made will be proven to have no basis through appropriate legal jurisdiction.

Source: Alpinestars via Asphaltandrubber

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