Noel, are you sure about the gps sensors? Before you jump on my statement research that. No one said this thread was only about the tech 5 and you may have assumed that it was?
Yep, very sure about the GPS sensors. If you recall I was talking about Tech 5 for several posts and while Dianese uses GPS data Tech Air 5 doesn't. Your statement was rather categorical since in no way did you exclude the main item I was discussing that YOU responded to, right? Yep!
When my bike falls over I won't be thinking about the tether....Flat out forgot to attach the tether....is a fact. Twice so far, and early on.
Good for you--I'm sure that WILL happen to some users and yes your vest DID NOT protect you on those two incidences that you recall. For all of the tethered vest users the number of times the rider forgot to make the connection will be measurable as a rate of operator error based failure and those count in the final tally of overall reliability.
Now tell me about turning the electronic version on? Is that automatic? Or can you forget to do that? I can look at my tether to confirm, what would you have to do to confirm the electronic version is on and ready to operate? How long after you charge it can it hang in the closet before it needs it again? Does that mean you ride without it should the charge be low after a few weeks? Questions that will bring "new information"!
Ride w/o it should the charge be low after a few weeks? It's a new item in your arsenal so presumably you would incorporate charging just like you do with your laptop, phone, electric leaf blower, shaver, Sena 10R, etc etc. The device senses the type of motion where it may need to deploy, so it senses when you are 'active' hence can go into sleep mode when not, hence the 30h active time reference. How long will it stay charged hanging up? It's a Li-ion battery so you should be able to guess on that. I don't know if its default state is 'On' and asleep, or if it has an on/off switch as well. I'm sure the IT wizards at Alpinestars have had fun programming capacity to handle tasks such as this, for example giving sufficient time to inactivity to avert putting it to sleep when it may be needed. Compared to autonomous vehicle tech this is pretty pedestrian.
Alpinestars Tech-Air 5 System
Tech-Air 5 is a slim, self-contained wearable airbag vest designed to be worn under virtually any jacket. The system provides unrivaled upper body protection uniquely covering the rider's shoulders, critical in motorcycling accidents, in addition to the chest, ribs and full back. The Tech-Air 5 Airbag System offers the most comprehensive coverage of any motorcycling airbag available today.
The state-of-the-art Tech-Air 5 System features six integrated sensors (3 gyroscopes and 3 accelerometers) to continuously monitor the rider’s position. An algorithm developed closely with MotoGP race data and data from over 2,000 lab-simulated crash scenarios determine when and how the system deploys. The airbag has a maximum inflation time of up to 40ms (or less, depending on vest size). The impact absorption while wearing the airbag results in a decrease of impact force by up to 95% compared to a passive chest or back protector. Inflation time is quick enough to deploy the airbag before the rider's first impact with an obstacle. In addition, the vest will protect stationary riders in the event of a rear-end collision.
The airbag has a battery life good for 30 hours of riding time on a single charge, and an LED display conveniently shows system status directly on the garment. The system features Bluetooth connectivity to pair with the Tech-Air App, which uses the rider’s phone to display the system’s operational status, battery status and provide detailed analysis of a ride. Over-the-air firmware updates are also handled through the app. Alpinestars includes a micro USB charger for quick recharging.
Electronics System:
* Active electronic system that features six triaxial integrated sensors (3 gyro and 3 accelerometers)
* Crash algorithm that leverages AI to accurately monitor when to deploy the airbag in a crash
* 30 hours of riding time after a full charge via micro USB charger
* Bluetooth and App integration
Airbag System:
* Covers shoulders, chest, ribs and full back
* Maximum inflation time of 20-40ms based on the volume of the airbag size
* Decreases impact force by 95% compared to a passive protector
* Includes argon gas canisters
* Highly ventilated back protector
Operation:
* Zip up vest and close magnetic flap
* Integrated LED display indicates operational status
I'm just playing devil's advocate here because the common reaction when something new comes along and one is fully invested in something else the go-to reaction will often be biased towards being closed, defensive, etc. And this is the house of tethered vest users. As of today, I still like what I see in the external turtle design it just looks potentially more effective. Is it for sure? Given everything we've talked about here so far, I'm not certain if the other attributes discussed (no tether therefore no forget to connect, 7-8x faster deployment, automated contact to your listed emergency contact instantly in a deployment) won't offset that potentially greater efficacy. So much of whether or not something will be useful in a crash depends on the specifics of the incident. In large populations no doubt both designs can play very meaningful roles, and sometimes not. If I had to choose today, it would be the Helite Turtle 2. Before going there I plan to try on a properly fitted Tech Air 5, under my two Olympia jackets, one 3-season which I prefer as it's mesh and good enough, and one 4 season which fits tighter. I tried on the 4-season after removing the back protector and it seems it would easily accommodate the 4cm (1.57in) minimum circumferential clearance, and I almost always use the 3-season so my jackets will work I'm pretty sure.
As I'm OK w/ the technology part the main issue for me comes to comfort wearing it. As I reflect on all of the touring days I've done it's common for me/us to stop every 90min or so to take a whiz, grab some food or fuel. So in a 10h riding day that's 5 or 6 times on and off with the tether at a minimum if not the vest itself depending on ambient conditions, whereas you don't need to do anything w/ the internal vest. You can take your jacket off to cool and leave the vest on. So convenience is a potential issue.