The Device that Can Revolutionize Trial Sport

Granollers, September 6, 2023: The fact that trial sport is slowly declining is an open secret within the industry. The sport is struggling to find a way to reverse a situation that has been deteriorating it for years.

Trial sport has evolved to become slow-paced and highly risky for the pilots. The complexity of the trial zones has reached extreme levels, causing some pilots to avoid certain competitions due to the physical risks involved. Moreover, the lack of dynamism has made trial sport less engaging to follow: to be considered that competitions are rarely televised except for a few events. Could this lack of dynamism and a clear, unified regulation be the cause?

THE SOLUTION: A DEVICE TO ACHIEVE A MORE DYNAMIC AND SAFER TRIAL SPORT

In response to this situation, various initiatives have been proposed to reverse the current state of the category. One of them, led by the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), involves a regulation change aimed at achieving what they internally refer to as “Dynamic Trial,” a trial with reduced stoppage time and increased fluidity. The system allows controlled STOP.

It appears that this regulatory change could address some of the mentioned problems and, if all interested parties agree, it would allow the creation of a unified regulation to bring uniformity and coherence to the sport. However, a regulation change alone is not enough; it needs to be accompanied by other actions.

In response to this situation, Cardinaltech, a Spanish research and development company, in collaboration with former professional trial riders Jaume Subirà and Miquel Cirera, with years of experience in the world of trial sport, has developed a device that could be compared to VAR in football or Hawk-Eye in tennis.

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BENEFITS FOR ALL INVOLVED IN TRIAL SPORT

After two years of rigorous research and development, Cardinaltech has created a unique technology to improve the overall practice of this sport, both within and outside of competitions. This technology would make trial sport more dynamic, reducing the complexity of the zones and making it more entertaining and easy to follow for spectators. And what benefits would this bring to the main actors in trial sports?

• For federations, it would facilitate the unification of criteria among different zone judges, regardless of the origin of the pilots or the championship.
• For motoclubs, it would streamline organization, requiring fewer zone judges and making their work easier, avoiding most discontent and claims since pilots would train with the system and know the limits beforehand. It would also reduce costs related to organizing races.
• For manufacturers, organizing more trials and increasing the number of practitioners and followers could boost sales.
• For pilots, they would have the guarantee that scores would be equal for everyone, regardless of their level. Additionally, competition queues would be significantly reduced, as well as the physical risks associated with certain zones.
• And all practitioners, including riders, would find a useful tool for training and outings.A SOLUTION TESTED BY KEY STAKEHOLDERS

  Cardinaltech’s device is in the final stages of development and has prototypes that validate its technology. The technology has been tested with numerous professional riders from different categories, including Toni Bou, Gabriel Marcelli, Berta Abellán, Jaime Busto, Jorge Casales, Pau Dinarés, Miguel Alarcón, Jordi Camp, Mateo Gratarola, Sondre Haga, and Jack Dance. Several demonstrations have taken place with the main stakeholders in the trial sport world, including the one held at Circuit Parcmotor de Castellolí on June 13, 2022, attended by FIM, Spanish Federation, French Federation, Norwegian Federation, Andorran Federation, and major manufacturers such as Montesa, Beta, Sherco, Scorpa, and Vértigo. Another demonstration was conducted at the Trial School facilities in Ripoll on November 16, 2022, attended by representatives from FIM, Spanish Federation, Catalan Federation, Andorran Federation, Albert Casanovas (representative of the trial manufacturers association), industry entrepreneurs, motoclub representatives, and other individuals associated with the sport.

  The following video was recorded during the last demonstration in Ripoll:

  THE ADVANTAGES OF SUCH A PRODUCT

  The resulting product from this technology is designed as a compact device to be mounted on the front of the motorcycle. The configuration of the device by pilots and motoclubs would be done through an app. During competitions, it would allow:

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• Detecting the time of stoppage and backward movement of the motorcycle: both parameters are adjustable (time and distance, respectively).
• Monitoring actions such as foot support, external support points, external assistance (stretching or pushing), motorcycle falls or descents, and engine stops.
• Establishing the entry order to a zone based on arrival order: detecting the rider’s arrival, placing them on a waiting list, knowing how many pilots are ahead and the approximate wait time, moving back a few positions in the queue for a pilot who has not entered during their turn.
• Establishing the zone’s start and end to know when a pilot started and finished a zone.
• Adjusting scoring parameters depending on the different categories and levels in each championship.
• Automatically controlling the total time spent in a zone.
• Displaying real-time rankings.
• Providing a forecast of riders’ passage times for each zone.BEYOND THE CHAMPIONSHIP: A USEFUL DEVICE FOR OUTINGS AND TRAINING

  This would be an essential device in competitions, but it would also be very useful for any practitioner during training sessions and outings, as it includes features such as a mileage counter, motorcycle usage hours, GPS, stopwatch, clock, tire pressure, and tracking, among others. It would also enable friendly competitions between friends, measuring scores during outings and training sessions.

  Implementing a technology like this would not only benefit trial competitions but would also increase the number of users, leading to an increase in sector sales.

  WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THIS DEVICE TO BE AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET?

  This development has been led and funded by Cardinaltech and has generated significant interest among the main stakeholders in trial sports. However, despite several successful demonstrations, the level of commitment required to move forward with a project of this nature has not been achieved. Achieving this commitment depends not only on economic support but also on the necessary institutional backing to modify regulations and homologate the device. Therefore, actors who can lead the project and turn it into a viable commercial product will be needed.

  To bring the technology to market and create a successful business model, strong leadership is also required to define the final product, develop a business plan, advocate for homologation and necessary regulatory adjustments, and secure funding for commercialization.

  *We are supplementing this press release with a series of scenes recorded during one of the tests conducted with Toni Bou in the initial phase of development, validating stop and backward movement detection (please note that foot scoring was not part of this test). The full video can be downloaded from this link:

  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XSGiItEwWqomFxUVL5A- 3iMt_xhHRPLR?usp=sharing

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ABOUT CARDINALTECH

Cardinaltech is a Spanish R&D company that investigates and develops disruptive technologies in various fields. The company was founded in 2019 and has since developed technologies in areas such as nanotechnology, chemistry, programming, and biotechnology.

For more information, please contact Marta Bellavista via email at marta@cardinaltech.io or by phone at +34 627263038.