News Use your actual bike as a controller with MotoTrainer

Motorbike controllers are always a sticking point when it comes to gaming and simulation. Some gamers are happy with a pair of handlebars, just giving them that bike feel. However, that feel is essentially a pseudo steering wheel dressed up as a bike and has absolutely no connection to the real biking experience. Biking is a full body experience, your backside controlling the weight and flow of the bike, your body position fighting the forces of gravity under braking, your arms keeping all of this power locked into the desired direction and you just hope your neck can take the pressure. Making a bike controller is far more than the aforementioned pair of handlebars.

So, it was an interesting surprise to see Dorna Sports announce a partnership with Moto Trainer, a motorbike simulator that allows riders to train on their own bikes. This is pretty interesting and a potential break through in the simulator market, trailer below. Moto Trainer’s software can allow riders to train on each and every MotoGP circuit across the globe. Suitable for sports bikes of all shapes and sizes, Moto Trainer can either be linked to the official MotoGP™ videogame, produced by long-standing MotoGP™ partner and videogame developer Milestone, or riders can follow an OnBoard lap of the track on which they wish to train. This all sounds very interesting, almost too good to be true. Can the MotoGP game physics adapt perfectly? Where are the physics limitations? So many questions, but the potential is exciting.

Going into further details on the play with MotoGP, the system aims to support real-world movement and synchronise that to the digital rendering of their riding on-screen. On-board laps, meanwhile, provide the perfect blueprint for riders to follow – allowing even the most veteran riders to train in seamless synchronicity with their on-screen counterpart. It will be interesting to see the full implementation, is it just a marketing line? Or physical training tool more than a biking one?

Andrea Lombardi, CEO of MotoTrainer: “The software behind Moto Trainer, developed by our engineers, is capable of playing any onboard video, and allows riders to save their efforts on a telemetry master track. This means that you can load any circuit and motorbike you want, with riders replicating the video to the reference telemetry. The software then analyses the rider’s performance by monitoring the accelerator, front and rear brakes, gearbox and trajectories. It’s a platform that allows bikers to train on every circuit in the world at an affordable price.”

Pau Serrancanta, Managing Director at Dorna Sports: “I’m delighted to be able to announce this agreement, adding yet another way in which fans are able to connect with and enjoy their favourite sport. In addition, the fact that it can also be used alongside the MotoGP™ videogame proves another bolster to Dorna’s eSports project, which continues to go from strength to strength.”

Lots of positivity around an interesting product, I look forward to learning more in the coming months and get rider feedback. In the meantime, check out the trailer and watch this space for more news on MotoTrainer.

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