Ducati and Vestibular Sports Training: Super Sight Development

To Ducati, innovating does not just mean introducing technological solutions that improve the riding experience. It also means developing an increasingly closer relationship between bike and rider. The DRE Academy, the official Ducati riding schools in the world, has trained thousands of riders since 2003. For the purpose of innovating motorsport teaching methods, Nicola Antonelli, Riding Experience Manager at Ducati, has been collaborating with the late Professor Giorgio Guidetti, who died of Covid-19 in March of 2021. Guidetti was Scientific Director of the Modena Autodrome, where he worked together with the Ferrari and Ducati teams and President of the Italian Society of Vestibology.  (Vestibology is the study of disorders relating to vertigo, dizziness, hearing loss and migraines related to the inner ear and it’s relationship to the sense of balance). Guidetti also worked with the Maranello Driver Academy and collaborated with the Enzo Ferrari Department of Faculty of Engineering of the Modena University and the Technopole of Reggio Emilia.  The combination of his international experience, Eye Tracking technology and the advice of professional Ducati riders has led to the development of new teaching programs that, in true DRE style, blend fun and skills building. 

Here's an interview with Professor Guidetti featured in Ducati’s Redline Magazine in January of 2020.

Professor Guidetti, why is it important to study eyesight? 

When we move, there are two kinds of ocular movement, voluntary and involuntary. The latter, which makes up the vast majority, causes saccades, flashes of blindness lasting roughly 100 milliseconds. We experience roughly two per second, for a total of four hours of darkness per day. Not an entirely insignificant fact, and yet only professionals are aware of this. And illusionists, who take advantage of saccade blindness to ensure their tricks work. 

Raising a rider’s level of performance and safety is what really interests Ducati. And the best way to improve riders’ skills and awareness level is with training, so that they can fully appreciate the benefits of two wheels and really enjoy the riding experience. 

Why is it important to do this in motorcycling? 

Because optimizing visual capabilities means increasing our perception of the environment, so our awareness, as well as our precision along a trajectory, so our performance. Our research has shown that, with professional riders, the perfect visual strategy is adopted almost automatically. On any given route, they will demonstrate significantly less saccade movement than amateur riders. 

Is it possible to train our eyes to improve our visual capacity? 

One of the most important results of our research confirms that yes, if correctly taught and trained, even non-professional riders can increase their capacity and develop both their selective and general attention. Together with the Italian Road Police, we have carried out experimentation that has led to the definition of a training program: just 10-15 minutes of exercises on the monitor, repeated for two weeks, can halve saccade movements and significantly increase performance on the road. 

How important is this collaboration with Ducati? 

The first advantage has to do with the scientific aspect of course. Thanks to Ducati, we can involve motivated riders, both professionals and amateurs, who are happy to help us understand what we are studying. Then there is our pride in bringing an all-Italian team to the cutting edge of international research. For someone who has always been a fan of the brand, to do this with Ducati is truly priceless. 

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