Spectrum EVO Intercom: Midland and LS2 tell the evolution of motorcycle communication
From the experience of the first Spectrum comes Spectrum EVO, the new chapter of the collaboration between Midland and LS2. A project developed to make communication on the bike even simpler, more intuitive and integrated, starting from the experience gained in the field and the feedback collected directly from motorcyclists.
Voice commands, integration with the Midland Connect app, OTA updates and new solutions dedicated to audio management are some of the innovations that characterize this evolution. But behind the Spectrum EVO intercom there is above all the joint work of two teams that have transformed concrete needs into new technological solutions.
Luca Porcellati, Marketing Director of LS2 Europe, and Mirko Pastarini, Product Manager R&D Special Projects at Midland Europe, tell us how the project was born, what challenges accompanied its development and how the collaboration between the two brands has evolved.
LS2's vision: interview with Luca Porcellati, Marketing Director of LS2 Europe
After the success of the first Spectrum, what prompted you to develop a new generation like the Spectrum EVO?
Luca Porcellati: "The success of the first Spectrum has confirmed to us that the integration between helmet and communication is a concrete need for motorcyclists. With the Spectrum EVO we wanted to take a step forward, further improving the user experience, the cleanliness of the integration and the general level of performance in the field."
What lessons did you learn from the first project that were instrumental in the development of Spectrum EVO?
Luca Porcellati: "We have fully understood how important simplicity and immediacy of use are while driving. For this reason, with Spectrum EVO we have focused on an even more intuitive experience, introducing Voice Command and more complete management through the Midland Connect app."
What makes the collaboration with Midland an added value for motorcyclists who choose LS2 today?
Luca Porcellati: "The collaboration with Midland combines our experience in the world of helmets with their expertise in communication on two wheels. The result is a solution developed in an integrated way, designed to offer practicality, quality and a better riding experience."
What are the main improvements introduced with the Spectrum EVO compared to the previous generation?
Luca Porcellati: "Among the main innovations we find Voice Command, compatibility with the Midland Connect app to configure and manage every function directly from the phone, as well as further advanced audio and communication. Everything has been designed with a single goal: to make every operation simple and immediate while driving."
<h2>The floor to Mirko Pastarini, Product Manager R&D Special Projects at Midland Europe</h2>
How has the collaboration between Midland and LS2 evolved from the first Spectrum to the Spectrum EVO?
Mirko Pastarini: «The collaboration with LS2 has followed an extremely natural growth path. With the first Spectrum, we laid the foundations of the partnership: it was a fundamental job to get to know each other, align our quality standards and test the market response. Unlike two companies that interface simply as supplier and customer, Midland and LS2 immediately recognized each other as two large families with a strong common vision and deep mutual respect. This human and professional harmony has led us, with the Spectrum EVO, to no longer consider ourselves just two business partners, but a single integrated team that works closely together on every phase of the project."
What were the main goals you set yourself in the development of this new version?
Mirko Pastarini: «After the great success with the LS2 Spectrum, we wanted to look beyond it at the end of the first year. By carefully collecting user feedback and working closely with the LS2 team, we set ourselves the goal of evolving the product and creating the Spectrum EVO. We wanted to raise the bar on the user experience by integrating key features:
OTA (Over-The-Air) Firmware Updates: to allow users to update the device easily and immediately directly from the smartphone via the app.
Deep integration with the Midland Connect app: offering quick and intuitive control of all Spectrum settings.
New generation Voice Commands: support for native commands "Hey Siri" and "Hey Google" for smartphone management, combined with the dedicated command "Hey Spectrum" for immediate opening of the intercom and answering incoming calls, without ever taking your hands off the handlebars.
The fundamental goal was therefore to transform the product into an even smarter, safer and always up-to-date communication system, tailored to the needs of the motorcyclist."
What were the most interesting challenges faced during the project and how did you overcome them?
Mirko Pastarini: «The most complex challenge, from an engineering and product management point of view, was to balance an important innovative drive with the aim of maintaining a highly competitive price on the market.
To take the system's performance to the next level, we integrated an AI-powered chip for intelligent voice command management. The real technical challenge for our R&D team was to make the algorithm work with extreme precision and speed in an acoustically critical environment such as the inside of a helmet, isolating the rider's voice from aerodynamic and engine noise, all within a hardware architecture that is low in cost and consumption.
We overcame this challenge thanks to intensive firmware optimization, audio architecture refinement and field testing conducted entirely by Midland. This great design effort allowed us to extract maximum performance from the AI chip without having to resort to disproportionately expensive components. The partnership with LS2 then made the most of this work, allowing us to offer customers a technologically advanced product, perfectly integrated into the helmet and at an extremely affordable price."
Which feature of the Spectrum EVO best represents Midland's technological know-how?
Mirko Pastarini: «Instinctively, one would think of the new AI chip for the recognition of voice commands, which certainly represents a generational leap. However, since it is a new and dynamic technology, we are constantly training to refine it and we will soon release further updates to constantly improve it.
If I have to point out what really expresses the essence and history of Midland's know-how, it's the evolution of our proprietary MWE (Midland Wind Experience) algorithm for noise cancellation.
Behind this technology there is an enormous and distinctive work: we have our own wind tunnel and a dedicated motorcycle fleet within the company, which allow us to conduct extremely intense and rigorous field tests in all riding conditions.
This continuous process of research and refinement means that MWE is not just a specification on paper, but a guarantee of listening. Even at the risk of sounding biased, I feel like proudly saying that we have developed one of the best noise cancellation algorithms currently on the market."
Spectrum EVO told by LS2 and Midland
How did the LS2 and Midland teams work together to transform market feedback into an even more advanced product?
"It was a work of active listening and continuous coordination. During the first year we collected reports, reviews and comments from end users. LS2 gave us a clear picture of the needs of their motorcyclists, while we at Midland translated these requests into concretely feasible technical solutions.
This constant dialogue guided the entire process: we defined together which features to add and how to best integrate them into the helmet ecosystem, up to also coordinating the communication strategy and the launch to the end customer in a synergistic way."
What was the most important aspect that you wanted to improve compared to the first Spectrum?
"Our main focus was on the user experience and the digitization of the device. We wanted an intercom that was smarter, immediate to use and always in step with the times.
This is why we have focused on three pillars: the introduction of AI-driven voice commands to allow the rider to manage calls and intercom without taking his hands off the handlebars, the redesign of the integration with the Midland Connect app and, above all, the OTA (Over-The-Air) update technology, which allows the customer to evolve the product firmware over time directly from their smartphone."
If you had to sum up Spectrum EVO in three words, which ones would you choose and why?
Evolved: because it marks a real generational leap thanks to the integration of AI and OTA updates.
Safe: because with advanced voice commands, the rider can manage the most used functions while remaining 100% focused on the road.
Affordable: because it collects premium technologies while maintaining a highly competitive price on the market.
This second project represents a further step in the common path between LS2 and Midland. Can we expect new developments in the future?
«Absolutely. When two companies work together and share the same passion for innovation, the Spectrum EVO is not a point of arrival, but a step on a long-term journey. We are already continuing to work on the constant improvement of our algorithms and software, and the strong agreement with LS2 will allow us to explore new integrated solutions for the future of two-wheeled mobility."
Spectrum EVO, a new step in the collaboration between Midland and LS2
Spectrum EVO therefore represents not only the evolution of a product, but also that of the collaboration between Midland and LS2. Listening to motorcyclists and the shared work of the two teams have made it possible to intervene on the user experience, introducing new features and developing a system that is increasingly integrated with the helmet and the digital tools used while riding. And the journey does not stop there. As emerges from the words of the protagonists, the Spectrum EVO intercom is a new stage in a collaboration destined to continue, with the aim of developing increasingly advanced solutions for communication and mobility on two wheels.
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