ProCom: the motorcyclist's telemetry
D-Tec®, the Dainese Research & Development Department, continues to make strides forward with its advanced research project on comfort, Procom. For Dainese, in fact, safety means not only protection but also riding in conditions that do not subject the body to stresses which might negatively impact the level of attention.
The degree of comfort of an item of clothing depends on such aspects as ergonomics and the management of internal temperature and humidity. The Procom system is aimed precisely at measuring these two fundamental parameters. Through an analysis of the microclimate, Procom can indicate which parts of the rider's clothing are not in optimal conditions and thus require adjustment. The system also makes it possible to conduct thorough tests on the effectiveness of new materials, alone and in combination.
The Procom system is therefore a sophisticated tool for verifying the effectiveness of new technical solutions designed to enhance comfort. It consists of an inner suit fitted with 32 humidity sensors and 32 temperature sensors and a heartbeat measuring device, joined to an electronic data-gathering system integrated with a GPS tracking device and altimeter for determining the rider's geographical position. All the data are read every five seconds and stored in a memory from which they are then downloaded to a PC for interpretation with the aid of a dedicated software program.
A fundamental contribution to the formulation of operating logics and interpretation of data was provided by Dr. Costa's Mobile Clinic, with which D-Tec® has been fruitfully collaborating for years in the development of all its safety-related projects. The hardware and software were instead developed in conjunction with Tecnopolis Novus Ortus, a prestigious technology centre located in Bari.
The most recent version of the Procom system, release 3.0, was used by Edi Orioli in the Trans-Siberian tour - his latest 14,000-kilometre adventure in Siberia - and by the journalist-motorcyclist Juergen Fuchs during the BMW Boxer Cup 2002. Orioli himself was the first to use the Procom system, during Desert Challenge 2000, and he was followed in 2001 by Biaggi, Rossi and Bayliss.
The present system is thus the result of accurate tests taking place in extreme conditions, which have furnished important data about the stress conditions riders are subjected to. It is now ready to be used in the series of tests D-Tec® will conduct in 2003 with the aim of giving all motorcyclists better and better tools, also from the standpoint of comfort.
Juergen Fuchs e Edi Oriloli
Max Biaggi e Valentino Rossi
ProCom centralina e download dei dati
