Smart Tires to Monitor Road Conditions in New Pilot
▼ Summary
– The Pirelli Cyber Tire is a sensor-equipped tire that monitors tire and road conditions, initially used in high-end cars like the McLaren Artura but now being tested in a broader pilot program in Italy’s Apulia region.
– The Cyber Tire uses Bluetooth Low Energy to transmit data on temperature and pressure, with durable electronics that withstand over 3,500 G and a small battery lasting the tire’s lifespan.
– Originally designed as an advanced tire pressure monitoring system, it can identify tire type (summer, winter, etc.) and wear level, enabling cars to adjust settings accordingly.
– Pirelli demonstrated additional applications, such as warning other drivers about aquaplaning, though vehicle-to-vehicle communication has yet to become widely practical.
– The Apulia pilot program will use Cyber Tires on a fleet managed by Ayvens to analyze road conditions via algorithms, avoiding reliance on private vehicle data due to limited adoption.
Smart tires equipped with advanced sensors are set to revolutionize road monitoring in a groundbreaking pilot program in Italy. Pirelli’s innovative Cyber Tire technology, previously limited to high-performance vehicles like the McLaren Artura, will now be tested on a broader scale through a collaboration with the Apulia regional government. These intelligent tires promise to enhance both vehicle performance and road safety by providing real-time data on road conditions.
The Cyber Tire integrates multiple sensors capable of tracking temperature, pressure, and even tread wear, transmitting this information via Bluetooth Low Energy. Designed to endure extreme forces, up to 3,500 G, the system relies on a compact 10-gram battery that lasts the entire lifespan of the tire. Originally developed as an advanced tire pressure monitoring system, the technology has evolved to identify tire types (summer, winter, or all-season) and adjust vehicle settings accordingly.
Beyond optimizing individual vehicle performance, the Cyber Tire has potential applications in improving road safety. At CES, Pirelli demonstrated how these tires could detect hazards like aquaplaning and alert nearby drivers. However, widespread adoption of vehicle-to-vehicle communication remains slow, limiting immediate impact.
Unlike traditional crowdsourcing approaches, Apulia’s pilot avoids privacy concerns by focusing on a dedicated fleet managed by Ayvens, a rental and fleet services provider. These vehicles will gather data on road surface quality, using sophisticated algorithms to assess asphalt conditions. This targeted approach ensures reliable data collection without relying on sparse consumer adoption.
While the long-term success of smart tire technology depends on broader implementation, this pilot marks a significant step toward smarter, safer roads. If successful, it could pave the way for wider integration of sensor-equipped tires in both public and private transportation networks.
(Source: Ars Technica)
