Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced that it was able to eclipse three million miles of data from road tests and field trials with customers obtained from its connected tires.
As explained by the tire manufacturer, connected tires have sensors embedded in them that allow them to “talk” to the vehicle and road and measure the tire’s characteristics. This ability can potentially aid in improving the performance and safety of the vehicle itself.
Goodyear has conducted studies with its connected tires. The results from these studies have shown that the connected tires are capable of decreasing the stopping distance lost between a new and worn-out tire by 30 percent.
Goodyear notes in a release that connected tires and their potential impact on stopping distances are becoming more relevant with the development of electric and autonomous vehicles. The importance of the connected tires communicating with the vehicle will increase in this context.
The connected, intelligent tire system designed by Goodyear is constantly engaged in measuring and collecting tire-derived information. The tire manufacturer combines this information along with other vehicle data and connects it to its cloud-based proprietary algorithms.
Goodyear’s intelligent tires are engineered to aid the vehicle to adjust and respond to the measurements and information collected by them, thus optimizing the performance of the vehicle. The tires are capable of measuring tire wear, load, inflation and temperature and road surface conditions, all in real-time.
“Consider someone driving on a slick, curvy road in cold temperatures. The driver adjusts his movements by slowing down, tapping the brakes or avoiding sudden steering,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s Chief Technology Officer. “But what happens when nobody is behind the wheel? The tire is the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground and it can communicate vital information to the vehicle, enhancing safety and performance.”
Goodyear has not introduced its connected tires to customers as of yet. However, the company is collaborating with automakers, startups and others constantly to test these tires. The end goal for Goodyear is to create custom products and solutions that can aid in providing safe riding experiences and can be used by consumers on the road eventually.