TAdviser Interview: CTO Ducati Konstantin Kostenarov - about a role of data and artificial intelligence in production of motorcycles

Konstantin Kostenarov: Ducati creates the motorcycles inspired by races which are characterized by productive engines with desmodromny distribution, the innovation design and vanguard technologies. The company makes a row a premium of motorcycles with technical functions and design which cover the main segments of the market. We have following families of models: Diavel, XDiavel, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Panigale, Streetfighter and SuperSport.

For 2020 we provided several new Dream Bikes models and three new models of the Ebikes series which will add Ducati MIG-RR provided last year. As new motorcycles we had a special version of Grand Tour of the Multistrada 1260 S motorcycle and three absolute innovations. The first of them - Panigale V2 equipped with engine 955 cc Superquadro. It is model on average weight, new in terms of an esthetics and performance.

Also we submitted the new version of Panigale V4 which was two years in a row the most sold model of sports motorcycles in the world.

But the most impressive model is long-awaited Streetfighter V4, the outstanding motorcycle in which we applied as we called it in Borgo-Panigale, Formula of the Fight: we took the Desmosedici Stradale 1.103 cc engine, added a set of electronics of the last generation, facilitated it to receive 178 kg of dry weight and also added a high and wide wheel, removed aerodynamic weather-cloths and reached power in 208 p/a at 12.750 RPM.

Konstantin Kostenarov: He completely agrees. It is especially right for an auto racing, but too belongs to motorcycle races. The difference is that, say, in comparison with Formula 1, in motorcycle sport the bigger value has a human factor, professionalism of the racer. In Formula 1 electronics and aerodynamics close many difficult moments with which in motorcycle sport the person should deal directly. For example, deduction of a direct line in the direction of travel and obtaining the necessary speed on turns. But, returning to your question, undoubtedly, a huge part of competitions are the share of the competition between engineers who fight for obtaining advantages every day.

Here it should be noted that, including in the field of aerodynamics, we introduced our technical achievements in the field of racing motorcycles also in a line of road motorcycles which we offer our clients.

Konstantin Kostenarov: First, it is such element as wings. They were provided a few years ago and help to generate clamping force and to prevent raising of a front part of the motorcycle at the time of acceleration. Wings also help with cooling of the motorcycle.

At last, the motorcycle is equipped with electronics. For example, in the motorcycle different sensors using which we collect data are installed and then we analyze them for improvement of speed of the vehicle.

Konstantin Kostenarov: In total we use more than 40 physical sensors in the racing motorcycles allowing to monitor brakes, the suspender, fuel, oil pressure, temperature of buses and many other things. These are physical sensors inside.

In addition we can also model virtual sensors which cannot be used physically in the motorcycle and also to execute separate modeling to understand how to set software parameters.

When the motorcycle is in process of testing, the control block collects information, data from sensors, and after sending to a garage we unload all this, we analyze, we model future dynamics that our engineers could correct some parameters influencing final performance.

Konstantin Kostenarov: Aerodynamics is strategic direction therefore I cannot call specific software products - this information can be used by competitors as advantage. As for modeling, a part it is executed on local computers, and for large calculations we use our high-performance computer.

Konstantin Kostenarov: Our system contains 400 computing nodes in Italy, and I cannot issue information on performance in TFLOPS too.

Konstantin Kostenarov: We use wind tunnels, but the main part of our developments results from modeling which is executed by engineers. Besides that modeling and artificial intelligence allow to reduce time of the analysis and to improve results in physical tests, they also give the chance to test some means and situations which cannot be reproduced in the wind tunnel.

Unlike the Formula 1 commands, we have no own wind tunnel. I do not know, maybe, our competitors on MotoGP have such tool, but we use it from partners.

Konstantin Kostenarov: From the technical point of view, I think and as the software for modeling very powerful, and we can select resources for multiple computations to be competitive. And if in a couple of years we are able to use only computing systems for dynamic calculations, we, most likely, will do it.

Konstantin Kostenarov: Speed in motorcycle races is one of parameters which needs to be improved, and I think that here we can achieve bigger. However not the only parameter necessary for a victory. In a season there are 19 tracks, and all of them are very different. And though for a victory it is necessary to be, eventually, faster, than the others, on some routes a special role is played by speed on turns and the level of wear of buses. If buses wear out too quickly, it is possible to lose a race.

Konstantin Kostenarov: Between approach to production Ducati and, say, the Lamborghini cars, there is a difference. On autoproduction it is simpler to use robots, and in a case with motorcycles, especially Ducati, assembly is almost completely performed manually. At the same time we use Internet of Things to understand when we finish some spare parts. Thus, we can beforehand resupply and avoid production delays.

For motorcycles which we make for the different countries and spare parts are necessary different to conform to local regulatory requirements. Sets of spare parts for products which are delivered to Spain and Russia differ. That there was no stop of a production line, we warn employees in advance for what motorcycle what spare parts will be necessary. Each box is marked that it was simpler to them to find it.

Besides, we periodically update the software of the built-in on-board computers of motorcycles. For example, at the initial stage of production on it one version of this software can be set, and in a production process engineers can release new versions. We should be sure that at the exit the motorcycle has the latest version of software. To understand what version on what motorcycle is set what them them need receiving updates, we use Internet of Things too.

For quality check, in turn, we use machine learning to analyze such parameters as the engine capacity, fuel consumption, wear of buses and others to be convinced that everything is all right.

Now we also study possibilities of application on production of technologies of virtual reality, in particular, for training of new employees. The production season for us begins in the middle of February and comes to the end in September. We have 400 permanent employees and as much again replaced. For new employees we need to organize training. Virtual reality allows to save time and resources on training in this case. So far we apply these technologies only in the form of prototypes.

Konstantin Kostenarov: Here process very much differs from the races Formula 1. We have no opportunity to drive away the motorcycle in a garage to take off data, and we are also limited to regulatory requirements to security. Only the racer can change motorcycle parameters during the races.

So far we cannot communicate with the motorcycle during the races. Moreover, from security reasons we and are forbidden to communicate with the racer directly during the races. That is why there is a special person who on races shows to the driver the table with his different parameters: with a position, lag or advancing.

With respect thereto so far we use technologies for unloading of information from the motorcycle when it is in a garage. Then we unload data from the on-board computer for their subsequent analysis. We use not only information which we receive from the racer, but also motorcycle electronics capacity. We can test that will occur at change of these or those parameters, to make decisions, to reconfigure the motorcycle and to load into it new cartographic information during tests.

We can set different configurations of the motorcycle, but eventually only the racer will be able to select options of geospatial data between which it can switch manually during the races.

At the same time from a garage of us there is a remote access to computing infrastructure, and we can manage data directly from there. For these purposes we have a ready configuration in cloud infrastructure which we could develop in any nearest data center, without being geographically tied to any country. And it will become certain a part of future improvement concerning use of high-performance computing in MotoGP.

Konstantin Kostenarov: For calculations - both to receive more computing powers. A part of information which is loaded for calculations is in fact crude and without knowledge of algorithms does not bear value. For such calculations we can use public clouds on the on-demand model.

In 2018 we decided to carry out updating of own infrastructure as much as possible to use the potential of data for motorcycle races, and for this purpose began extensive cooperation with Netapp company. We completely updated data storage infrastructure, created reserve data center using solutions of Netapp.

During 2019 Ducati actively transferred the IT infrastructure to hyper convergent solutions, and now on them infrastructure of branches of the company in the USA, the countries of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Ocean is constructed. These solutions also allow the racing Ducati command to improve the results on the route and within MotoGP World Cup. Besides, more than 200 applications consolidating and providing protection of all environment of data of Ducati work for a solutions flash of Netapp today.

Recently Ducati, with assistance of NetApp, develops the innovative solutions and implements numerous digital projects — from modeling using high-performance computing for increase in aerodynamic characteristics of motorcycles to creation of the models connected to the Internet, from development and implementation of the Ducati Link application allowing motorcyclists to configure settings, to write the indicators and routes and to open for itself new types of motor-tourism, before increase in security and development of new models.