“Let the road talk to your car” said tyre giant Pirelli, as it unveiled the latest iteration of its smart tyre system at the Geneva International Motor Show.
Pirelli’s Cyber Car technology enables each tyre to interact with the car’s onboard computer to ensure a safer, more economical drive.
Given that its tyres represent every car’s sole point of contact with the road, it’s little surprise that OEMs are working with Pirelli to gain as much data from that connection as possible.
Armed with information on the road conditions, tyre pressure and tread, those behind the wheel can alter their driving style. Onboard computer systems can adapt too, and the result is a more environmentally sustainable drive, for less.
It’s also a solution that’s guaranteed to speed up maintenance and take some of the guesswork out of tyre changing.
Pirelli’s Cyber Car system relies on a sensor placed on the inside of the tyre, which connects to the Pirelli Cloud. Weighing just a few grams, the sensor is able to track the status of the tyre and transmit that data to an electronic control unit inside the car.
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Tyre pressure monitoring systems are commonplace. But Pirelli’s Cyber Car system aims to take things to the next level by integrating all of that data, and more, into existing driver aids.
Live tyre information on pressure, internal temperature, and tread depth can all be used by the Cyber Car system, which is able to intervene with the car’s onboard computers, adjusting ABS and stability control to suit the tyre conditions.
Notifications and system setup can both be configured with Pirelli’s app.
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A solution for the future of automation
As well as tyre-centric data, each sensor combines to provide an accurate assessment of the car’s vertical load. For electric vehicles, this information represents the difference between battery life estimates using standard parameters and truly accurate predictions.
The first models fitted with Pirelli’s Cyber Car are due to arrive this year. Several car manufacturers are already taking steps to integrate the tyre specialist’s technology into their own onboard systems.
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Internet of Business says
So far, 2018 has been the year of the connected car and the connected driver.
Cars are getting smarter – as is transport generally. Smart, connected services, and the data that results from them, will be one of the major battlegrounds over the next few years, both among car makers and their technology partners.
Cars are massive data points, in terms of how they’re performing, how they’re being used, and how they relate to the organisations that manage them – and the world around them.
Pirelli’s data is genuinely on the road, and that will be one of the most valuable data resources yet.
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