The near future of two-wheelers is in GPS navigation with a Bluetooth Low Energy connection

28. 08. 2019 · 2 min read

A slippery road with sharply tilted serpentines lining the Alpine peaks or a long, straight stretch across the US sounds like a dream for motorcycle enthusiasts. However, a road trip to unknown places or a nearly empty tank on Route 66 can be stressful without knowing the proper road to take.
Using smartphone GPS Navigation with cables for two-wheelers is very uncomfortable and unsafe. That is the reason why we are working on the upgrade of our GPS navigation with Bluetooth low energy connectivity for motorcycles.

In addition, there are many motorcycle lovers in our company, and so we know the issue well, but we were struggling to find the appropriate solution. Until one of our colleagues stepped in.

We are one step closer to upgrading our GPS navigation with Bluetooth low energy connectivity for motorcycles.
The latest innovation will enable two-wheelers to mirror the navigation instructions wirelessly from their smartphone directly into the instrument cluster or built-in in-dash unit and control it with the rotary knob.

A prototype of the motorcycle infotainment system is capable of reading data from Sygic GPS Navigation through Bluetooth Low Energy Connection to the built-in head-up display of motorcycles. The company is currently in talks with several motorcycle manufacturers to integrate wireless technology into specific models.

It is not easy to control the handlebars of the motorcycle while also holding a mobile phone with GPS navigation, especially when using cables with motorcycle gloves. Currently, we are working on solutions to riders’ issues.

The idea came from the young developer Oleksandr Lavrushko who made the prototype that we have been testing in real scenarios, and we are so glad that it is already working almost properly.

The first initiative was based on the need to simplify the use of Sygic GPS Navigations for riders. As Oleksandr said: "I want it to feel like Sygic is embedded in the motorcycle while it is actually running on the phone. Once you have connected your phone with the motorcycle, and you have set the desired destination in your Sygic GPS Navi, you don't need to take your phone out of your pocket again. Even if you stop for a small break, your phone will be automatically connected to in-dash via Bluetooth and will show your route in the built-in head-up display. This means no more cables!"

At Sygic, we are open to new opportunities, and we are very satisfied that our team has such great people who try to positively change the way people travel.

Written by Magdalena Mihalova