Piaggio Fast Forward is the technological branch of Piaggio dedicated to robotics and future mobility, which is quite impressive for a company founded in 2015 and that – just to stay in the motorcycle area – created the radar system and PFF Rider Assistance Solution software based on 4D Imaging Radar technology, which we find in the Stelvio: a proprietary system where even the devices are specifically made for Piaggio and that offers, compared to a solution based on ultrasonic sensors, an extremely wide field of view and reliable monitoring, regardless of lighting and environmental conditions. These devices play a key role in active safety, providing functions like Frontal Collision Warning (FCW), Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), Lane Change Assistance (LCA), and Follow Cruise Control (FCC).
Of course, PFF is not only dedicated to motorcycles and, during Modex, the main American trade fair in the supply chain sector currently taking place in Atlanta (Georgia, USA), presented the kilo: a hands-free robotic platform equipped with intelligent tracking technology.
The Kilo is the “older brother” of gita and gitamini, robots already commercialized in the USA, and has a payload capacity of up to 130 kg (it was 100 kg in the first design in 2017). Thanks to the package of sensors and 4D radar imaging developed by PFF with which it is equipped, it is able to follow the operator, move autonomously, and travel over 100 stored trails.
The Kilo was designed to work alongside people, allowing users to move materials naturally, reducing the risk of injuries, and is also the first application of PFF’s autonomous behavioral software, Travel on Known Paths.
In the remodeling and modernization project involving the Mandello del Lario factory, the Piaggio Group planned to integrate the kilo robot into the new production lines of Moto Guzzi to facilitate and support operators’ maneuvers, and later its use is also planned in the other production centers of the Group in Italy, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
The context in which these innovations are realized is favored by US legislation, which foresees the regulation of ground drones, such as the gitamini and gitamini, already present in PFF’s range for the US market, and where the circulation of robots on city streets is regulated, being a solution for proximity and home deliveries.
